SAINT MACARTIN’S CATHEDRAL
THE PARISH OF ENNISKILLEN        

At the heart of the Community 
Strengthening Commitment, Outreach, Worship and Christian Love

A FESTIVAL OF 
HYMNS & READINGS 
FOR THE HARVEST
                                                         Sunday 12th October 2025 @ 7pm
GATHERING AS GOD’S PEOPLE

All stand to sing,
THE PROCESSIONAL
HYMN 37

Come, ye thankful people, come, 
raise the song of harvest-home; 
all is safely gathered in, 
ere the winter storms begin;
 God our Maker doth provide
 for our wants to be supplied; 
come to God’s own temple, come,
 raise the song of harvest-home.

 All the world is God's own field; 
fruit unto His praise to yield; 
wheat and tares together sown, 
unto joy or sorrow grown; 
first the blade, and then the ear, 
then the full corn shall appear; 
Lord of harvest, grant that we 
wholesome grain and pure may be.

For the Lord our God shall come, 
and shall take His harvest home; 
from His field shall in that day 
all offences purge away; 
give His angels charge at last 
in the fire the tares to cast; 
but the fruitful ears to store 
in His garner evermore.
 
Even so, Lord, quickly come, 
to Thy final harvest-home; 
gather Thou Thy people in, 
free from sorrow, free from sin; 
there for ever purified 
in Thy presence to abide: 
come, with all Thine angels, come, 
raise the glorious harvest-home.
Henry Alford (1810-71) 

THE GREETING
As long as the earth endures,  seedtime and harvest, cold and heat,  summer and winter, day and night 
shall not cease. 								(Genesis 8: 22) 

The Lord be with you: 
And also with you. 

THE INTRODUCTION 
We are gathered together as the family of God  in our Father’s presence  to offer praise and thanksgiving for the Harvest, to ask forgiveness of our sins,  to hear and receive God’s holy Word,  to pray for the needs of the world  and to seek God’s grace  that through Jesus Christ our Lord  and in the power of the Holy Spirit we may give ourselves to God’s service. 

PENITENCE 
Let us confess our forgetfulness of the needs of the poor, 
and repent of the ways in which 
we waste the resources of the world. 

Please sit or kneel, according to your custom. 
Silence is kept for reflection. 

We confess to You 
our lack of care for the world You have given us. 
Lord, have mercy. 
Lord, have mercy. 

We confess to You 
our selfishness in not sharing the earth’s bounty fairly. 
Christ, have mercy. 
Christ, have mercy. 

We confess to You 
our failure to protect resources for others. 
Lord, have mercy. 
Lord, have mercy. 

THE ABSOLUTION

May the Father of all mercies 
cleanse you from your sins, 
and restore you in His image 
to the praise and glory of His name, 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

All stand to sing,
HYMN 24

All creatures of our God and king,
lift up your voice and with us sing
alleluia, alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
thou silver moon with softer gleam:
O praise Him, O praise Him, 
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! 

Thou rushing wind that art so strong, 
ye clouds that sail in Heaven along, 
O praise him, alleluia! 
Thou rising morn, in praise rejoice, 
ye lights of evening, find a voice: 
O praise Him, O praise Him, 
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! 

Thou flowing water, pure and clear, 
make music for thy Lord to hear, 
alleluia, alleluia! 
Thou fire so masterful and bright, 
that givest us both warmth and light, 
O praise Him, O praise Him, 
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! 

                                                        Dear Mother Earth; who day by day 
unfoldest blessings on our way, 
O praise Him, alleluia! 
The flowers and fruits that in thee grow, 
let them His glory also show: 
O praise Him, O praise Him, 
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! 

All ye that are of tender heart, 
forgiving others, take your part, 
O sing ye, alleluia! 
Ye who long pain and sorrow bear, 
praise God and on Him cast your care: 
O praise Him, O praise Him, 
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! 

And thou, most kind and gentle death, 
waiting to hush our latest breath, 
O praise Him, alleluia! 
Thou leadest home the child of God, 
and Christ our Lord the way has trod: 
O praise Him, O praise Him, 
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! 

Let all things their Creator bless, 
and worship Him in humbleness; 
O praise Him, alleluia! 
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son, 
and praise the Spirit, Three in One: 
O praise Him, O praise Him, 
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! 
William Henry Draper (1855-1933) 

THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD

All sit for 
THE FIRST READING: GENESIS 1: 9-13
No introduction is made. 
And God said, ‘Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.’ And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called seas. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, ‘Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.’ And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day. 
No response is made. 

Silence is kept for reflection. 

PRAYER 
O Heavenly Father, Who has filled the world with beauty: Open our eyes to behold your gracious hand in all Your works; that, rejoicing in Your whole creation, we may learn to serve You with gladness; for the sake of Him through wWhom all things were made, Your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

All stand to sing, 
HYMN 32

O Lord my God!  When I in awesome wonder
consider all the works Thy hand hath made,
I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,
Thy pow'r throughout the universe displayed:

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!  How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!  How great Thou art!

When through the woods and forest glades I wander,
and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
when I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
and hear the brook, and feel the gentle breeze:

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!  How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!  How great Thou art!

                                                 And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,
sent him to die – I scarce can take it in,
that on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin:

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!  How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!  How great Thou art!

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
and take me home – what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration
and there proclaim, my God, how great Thou art!

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!  How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!  How great Thou art!

Swedish Hymn (pub. 1891) by Carl Boberg (1859-1940)
Tr  Stuart K Hine  (1899-1989)
based on Psalm 8; Romans 5: 9-11; 
1 Thessalonians 4: 16-17

All sit for 
THE SECOND READING: JOB 38: 1-11, 16-18 
No introduction is made. 
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: ‘Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up your loins like a man, I will question you, and you shall declare to Me. ‘Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone when the morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy? ‘Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb?—when I made the clouds its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band, and prescribed bounds for it, and set bars and doors, and said, “Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stopped”? ‘Have you entered into the springs of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep? Have the gates of death been revealed to you, or have you seen the gates of deep darkness? Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth? Declare, if you know all this.’ 
No response is made.

Silence is kept for reflection

PRAYER 
Almighty God, Whose loving hand has given us all that we possess: Grant us grace that we may honour You with our substance, and, remembering the account which we must one day give, may be faithful stewards of Your bounty, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Choir Anthem
All things bright and beautiful by John Rutter

All sit for
THE THIRD READING: ISAIAH 55: 6-11
No introduction is made. 
Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while he is near; let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord, that He may have mercy on them, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and the snow come down from Heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes out from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. 
No response is made. 

Silence is kept for reflection.

PRAYER 
Almighty God, in giving us dominion over things on earth, You made us fellow workers in Your creation: Give us wisdom and reverence so to use the resources of nature, that no one may suffer from our abuse of them, and that generations yet to come may continue to praise You for your bounty; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

All stand to sing,
HYMN 38

Father, blessing every seed-time,
and refreshing all the soil,
ripening the gracious harvest
for which all Thy servants toil:
O Thou source of every blessing
showered daily from above,
hearken to our lips confessing
our thanksgiving for Thy love.

Here we bless Thy hand that gave us
thought and feeling, life and limb;
bless Thy Son, who died to save us,
in our glad and joyous hymn;
bless Thy Spirit, who doth make us
fit to worship as we ought;
Father, leave not nor forsake us,
till into Thy garner brought.

With Thy dews and sunshine tend us
through life’s long and changeful year;
from the enemy defend us,
lest the tares of sin appear:
let Thine eye and hand the keepers
of our souls for ever be,
till Thine angel harvest-reapers
sheaves of glory bind for thee.
John S. B. Monsell (1811-75)

All sit for
THE FOURTH READING: 2 CORINTHIANS 9: 9-11
No introduction is made. 
As it is written, ‘He scatters abroad, He gives to the poor; His righteousness endures for ever.’ He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us. 
No response is made. 

Silence is kept for reflection. 

PRAYER 
Almighty God, we thank You for making the earth fruitful, so that it might produce what is needed for life: Bless those who work in the fields; give us seasonable weather; and grant that we may all share the fruits of the earth, rejoicing in Your goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

All stand to sing, 
HYMN 47

We plough the fields, and scatter
the good seed on the land,
but it is fed and watered
by God’s Almighty hand;
He sends the snow in winter,
the warmth to swell the grain,
the breezes, and the sunshine,
and soft refreshing rain.

All good gifts around us
are sent from Heaven above;
then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord,
for all His love.

He only is the Maker
of all things near and far;
He paints the wayside flower,
He lights the evening star;
the winds and waves obey Him,
by Him the birds are fed;
much more to us, His children
He gives our daily bread.

All good gifts around us
are sent from Heaven above;
then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord,
for all His love.

We thank Thee, then, O Father,
for all things bright and good,
the seed-time and the harvest,
our life, our health, our food;

accept the gifts we offer,
for all Your love imparts,
and that which You most welcome,
our humble thankful hearts.

All good gifts around us
are sent from Heaven above;
then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord,
for all His love.
Matthias Claudius (1740-1815)

All sit for 
THE FIFTH READING: ST MATTHEW 6: 24-34
No introduction is made. 
Jesus said, ‘No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your Heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ‘So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.’ 
No response is made.
 
Silence is kept for reflection. 

THANKSGIVING PRAYERS 
Let us give thanks to God, 
the God of all peoples of the earth. 

For the colour and forms of Your creation 
and our place within it, 
we bring our thanks, good Lord:
Your mercy endures for ever. 

For our daily food, 
and for those whose work and skill 
bring Your good gifts to us, 
we bring our thanks, good Lord: 
Your mercy endures for ever. 

For the gifts and graces inspired in human minds and hearts; 
for insight and imagination, 
for the skills of research 
which bring healing and fulfilment to the lives of many; 
we bring our thanks, good Lord: 
Your mercy endures for ever. 

For the light and shades of the changing seasons, 
and their variety and dependability; 
for new life and growth out of barrenness and decay; 
we bring our thanks, good Lord: 
Your mercy endures for ever. 

For new hope and strength in our communities,
especially in your Church and among all you call to serve You, 
we bring our thanks, good Lord; 
Your mercy endures for ever. 

For all in whose lives we see goodness, 
kindness, gentleness, patience and humility, 
and all the fruit of the Spirit, 
we bring our thanks, good Lord: 
Your mercy endures for ever. 

For the life we have been given, 
and for all those whom You have given us to share it, 
we bring our thanks, good Lord: 
Your mercy endures for ever. 

THE COLLECT 
Eternal God, You crown the year with Your goodness and give us the fruits of the earth in their season: Grant that we may use them to Your glory, for the relief of those in need and for our own well-being; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

THE LORD’S PRAYER 
As our Saviour Christ has taught us, we are bold to say, 
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.

All stand to sing, 
THE OFFERTORY HYMN 96

Jesus is Lord!  Creation’s voice proclaims it,
for by His power each tree and flower was planned and made.
Jesus is Lord!  The universe declares it –
Sun, Moon and stars in Heaven cry: ‘Jesus is Lord!’

Jesus is Lord, Jesus is Lord!
Praise Him with alleluias, for Jesus is Lord.

Jesus is Lord!  Yet from His throne eternal
in flesh He came to die in pain on Calvary’s tree.
Jesus is Lord!  From Him all life proceeding,
He gave his life a ransom, thus setting us free.

Jesus is Lord, Jesus is Lord!
Praise Him with alleluias, for Jesus is Lord.

Jesus is Lord!  O’er sin the Mighty Conqueror,
from death He rose and all his foes shall own His name.
Jesus is Lord!  God sends His Holy Spirit,
showing by works of power that Jesus is Lord.

Jesus is Lord, Jesus is Lord!
Praise Him with alleluias, for Jesus is Lord.

David Mansell  (b. 1936)
based on Mark 10: 45;  Romans 10: 8;  1 Corinthians 12: 3.

GOING OUT AS GOD’S PEOPLE 

THE BLESSING 
May God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the source of all goodness and growth, pour His blessing upon all things created,  and upon you His children,  that you may use His gifts to His glory  and the welfare of all peoples;  and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, 
be with you and remain with you always. Amen. 

All remain standing to sing, 

THE EXIT PROCESSIONAL HYMN 361

Now thank we all our God,
with hearts and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things hath done,
in whom His world rejoices;
Who, from our mother's arms
hath blessed us on our way
with countless gifts of love,
and still is ours today.

O may this bounteous God
through all our life be near us,
with ever joyful hearts
and blessèd peace to cheer us;
and keep us in His grace,
and guide us when perplexed,
and free us from all ills
in this world and the next.

All praise and thanks to God
the Father now be given,
the Son, and Him who reigns
with them in highest heaven;
the one eternal God,
whom Warth and Heaven adore;
for thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.

Martin Rinkart (1586-1649)

ANNOUNCEMENTS for Sunday 12th October 2025

Messy Church
Messy Church is back on Thursday 16th October from 4.00 to 6.00pm in the Eniskeene Room. Messy Church is open to al lchildren of Primary School age or younger and their parents and guardians. Participants must complete a registration form.

Spirit and Soul
The group will meet again on Tuesday 14th October at 7.30pm in the Hilliard Room. The subject is Benedict and Living. Tea and coffee will be provided at the start of the meeting.

Friends of the Cancer CentreCharity Walk
Join the Fermanagh Fundraising Group’s family friendly Sponsored Walk within the beautiful surrounds of Castle Coole on Saturday 18th October at 11.00am. The walk is open to anyone who would like to get together with friends and family, to raise funds to help support people across Northern Ireland, who have been affected by cancer. Registration is £10 plus sponsorship. Light refreshments are included. Under 12’s are free. Please contact Sarah on 028 9069 9393 orinfo@friendsofthecancercentre.com for more information and to register.

Supper at Six
“Supper at Six” is a monthly meal in the Cathedral Hall, which is open to all. You are welcome to make an anonymous voluntary contribution, but are under no obligation to do so. To book your place for the next meal on Thursday 23rd October, please fill in the slip on the information flyer delivered with your Newsletter and also available in the Cathedral porch and return it by 16th October. Places are allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Mid Week Service
Thursday 16th October 11.00am 
Holy Communion Sunday 19th October – The Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity 
9.00am –  Holy Communion 
11.00am –    Holy Communion

Copyright Acknowledgements 

Material from the Irish Church Hymnal - Fifth Edition
© The Standing Committee of the General Synod of the Church of Ireland, 2000

Material from the Book of Common Prayer 2004
© The Representative Body of the Church of Ireland, 2004

The Church of Ireland Cross logo
© The Representative Body of the Church of Ireland, 2004