Midnight Mass - Canberra Rite
Explanatory text is in italics, the priest’s in black and the response of the congregation is in bold.
Introductory Greeting
After the priest and their attendants have entered and taken their places, and after the final stroke of Midnight between the Saturday and Sunday night:
In the Name of God, the Dark Prophet, and for our Holy Damnation
Amen
The curse of our Damnation and the purpose of our Sanctification be with you all
And also with you
Penitential
As we come together as taught to us by the First Childe, St. Monachus, let us confess our sins and petition the Lord to continue to stay our judgement
A period of silent reflection may be included here.
Lord we have sinned against you, and do not deserve your mercy
Yet you have chosen us
You have forsaken us, and in our Damnation you have granted us strength
We give thanks to you God
Allow us to be your vessels of wrath and judgement upon this Earth and the next
As Longinus has spoken, Amen
Gloria of the Night
The Gloria may be sung (by the congregation or the choir) or it may be recited. The Gloria may begin with a brief invitation by the priest.
Blessed be God. Blessed be His Holy name
Yet Cursed be Longinus. Cursed be the Children of the Night. Cursed be those who seek men for their blood
And in their curse remember them to the Will and Word of God
As Longinus has spoken
Opening Prayer
Let us pray
A period of silence may be included here.
All praise be to you, Most High, for the shadow of your divine grace which you have allowed to fall upon us! Blessings be upon you and may our nights always venerate your Holy ways
Amen
Readings
The first reading is chosen from the Rule or from First or Second Sanguinaria
The first reading, from the Book of (book)
After the reading:
The Words of St Monachus, the first Disciple of the Dark Messiah
Glory to God
The Testament proclamation:
We are the Grandeur
We are Sanctified
A reading from the Testament, as written by the Dark Prophet himself
As Longinus has spoken
After the reading:
Our Divine Mission, as told by God's chosen Prophet
We give thanks to the Lord for the Centurion
The Homily
The Bishop and / or Priest may speak to the general congregation, and this is usually where any evangelical sermon will be given. If appropriate, the Prayer of Evangelism or the Prayer for the Unbeliever will be given first.
Profession of Faith
Let us declare our faith so that all may hear
We believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of Heaven and Earth
We believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary to redeem Man from Sin through his death and resurrection
We believe that Longinus, by piercing the Saviour’s side as he hung from the Cross, did reveal the divinity of Christ through fulfilment of the prophecies and that, while Longinus was rightly Damned for his blasphemy, his damnation was itself part of God’s Holy Plan
We believe that those so Damned are the agents of God’s will, chosen to receive the Embrace that we may test the faithful and reveal the divinity within each of them
We believe that for my sins we are damned to Hell and yet through damnation we may find my purpose in God’s Holy Plan
As Longinus has spoken
Amen
General Intercessions
Let us pray
The intercession is then made. After each petition, the following is said:
For the sake of your Holy Work
Lord, hear our prayer
Communion of the Faithful
Before this ceremony can take place, those that the Sanctified are Evangelising to must leave, for the following is only for those under the Chapel of the Lance and Spear.
Let us pray
The Blessing of the vitae is conducted over the cup or the vessel at the altar.
O God above who so righteously Damns us, bless this holy Vitae which we claim to fulfil our anointed purpose
Amen
The Lord’s Damnation is bestow to you
And also to you
Ready yourselves for predation
We prey upon the sinners
Let us rejoice in our purpose
Though our acts are sinful, our mission is Divine
The Nightly Prayer
Let us pray in the manner that St. Monachus, first Disciple of Dark Messiah, taught us
Thank you our God for your holy Damnation and thank you for showing us our place in your ineffable plan
May our prayers and predations be always acceptable in your sight and may our actions this night drive Kindred and man alike to a more perfect understanding of your will
Amen
The Blessing
The Blood is given to you, it’s Master
I rejoice for the Lord wills it so
Let this Vitae bring strength to your Damned children so that we may go forth into the coming nights and feed upon the mortals which you have given us
Amen
As each Sanctified feeds, the following is said:
The Blood thunders like a storm
The Blood burns like fire
A period of silence may be included here.
Conclusion
The conclusion can be read after the Intercessions if Communion is not conducted
Our God, all praise is due to you for the miracle of transformation that you bestowed upon the centurion. Blessed are we who know the truth of divinity in the world because of the blood of the Christ that gave the Centurion sight and life! May we ever walk in his ways and follow his example, by your power and will
Amen
The Mass has ended. Go into the world, and bring the wrath of God
As Longinus has spoken
The priest and their attendants depart.