Forms of Prayer in Celebration of the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III
Both the apostles Peter and Paul urged their readers to pray for those in authority, and we can do no less by praying for the King of Canada. The PBSC recommends the following ways in which His Majesty’s coronation could be remembered and celebrated on the day itself, on the Sunday afterwards, and on future anniversaries of the accession.
For the day itself, we offer a collection of prayers that can be prayed at significant moments during the ceremony, which have been adapted from those published in a booklet issued by the Church of England in 1953 on the occasion of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth. For the Sunday following and for accession anniversaries, we provide propers for services of Holy Communion as well as Morning and Evening Prayer, drawn from the 1918 Canadian Book of Common Prayer.
Supplementary Old Testament Lections for the BCP Eucharistic Lectionary
The PBSC has recently launched a project to compile a set of optional Old Testament readings to complement the traditional Epistle and Gospel readings at the BCP service of Holy Communion. This initiative was prompted by the recognition that some clergy are hesitant about re-introducing the Prayer Book lectionary to their congregations because the use of the Revised Common Lectionary has fostered an expectation that the Old Testament will be read and preached on Sunday mornings. The Revd. Benjamin von Bredow, who chairs the committee undertaking this work, explains the rationale at greater length in this article from the Michaelmas 2022 issue of the PBSC newsletter, and provides an update on the work here.
Readiness & Decency (1946)
(Introduction by the Revd. Dr. Gordon Maitland, PBSC National Chairman)
The first edition of this book was published in 1946 by brethren of a monastic order, the Society of St. John the Evangelist. This practical guide was intended to be used with the 1918 version of the Canadian BCP and was mostly concerned with the celebration of the Eucharist. This edition will be of interest to scholars who want to know how the 1918 book was actually used by many priests in Canadian parishes. Of particular interest are the directions as to how to do a “North End” celebration of the Eucharist. Many Low Churchmen at the time felt that celebrating the Holy Communion facing east at the altar was too “Romish” or “Papist” so they conducted the service at one side of the altar instead. While this method of doing the Eucharist has now disappeared from the Canadian Church, it will be of interest to those researching the history of liturgical practice.
- Download 1946 version PDF here
Readiness & Decency (1961)
(Introduction by the Revd. Dr. Gordon Maitland, PBSC National Chairman)
This second edition of Readiness and Decency was written in 1961 by the same S.S.J.E. brethren who wrote the first edition, and was intended for use with the then new and experimental 1959 edition of the Canadian BCP. It was much expanded so as to have directions as to how to celebrate the Daily Offices and the Pastoral Offices. This practical manual has a wealth of historical background and pastoral guidance in the observances of the rites of the Book of Common Prayer. There are directions for an elaborate celebration of the Holy Eucharist with many sacred ministers, or a plain celebration of the Holy Communion with one assistant. The authors are quite aware of the fact that any worship service needs to be adapted to the variables of local context: the architecture of the building, the size of the sanctuary, the depth of the chancel, the acoustics of the space, and many others. All of this is to say that Readiness and Decency is still a useful guide for any cleric, seminarian, or other worship leader when planning the worthy celebration of the services and sacraments of the Church.
- Download 1961 version PDF here
The Canadian Holy Week Booklet
(Introduction by the Revd. Dr. Gordon Maitland, PBSC National Chairman)
This resource was compiled by Fr. John McCausland of the S.S.J.E. monastic order (Society of St. John the Evangelist), the same person for whom is named McCausland’s Order of Divine Service, the yearly “Ordo” printed by the Anglican Church of Canada. The Holy Week book was published in 1973 when Anglican churches were beginning to include these kinds of services into their liturgical life. Fr. McCausland took material from the Book of Common Prayer, the Book of Common Praise (the 1938 Hymn Book), the English Missal, and other traditional sources to produce rites for Holy Week that were not available in the BCP itself. They include the blessing and procession of palms on Palm Sunday, the Veneration of the Cross on Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil. These services can be used elaborately in a great cathedral, or more simply in a parish church. The directions and rubrics as to how to celebrate these rites are clear and easy to follow.It is worth noting that much of the material used to compile the Holy Week rites in the Book of Alternative Services was based on, and adapted from, this Holy Week Book. They are thus traditional language versions of what may be found in the BAS, which means they harmonize with worship according to the BCP.
- Download PDF here
BCP Music
This page contains settings for the sung parts of the Prayer Book services of Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer and Holy Communion, recorded for the Anglican Church of Canada in the early 1960s, as well as some excerpts from later recordings.
- Learn more and listen to recordings here
Table of Moveable Feasts
This table in the front of the BCP, which gives the dates of key festivals such as Easter and Pentecost, only extends to 2020 in the copies currently in print. The PBSC has produced an that runs from 2021 to 2040.
- View table here
Printable BCP Service Booklets
PBSC member Andrew Dunning has produced four printable booklets, containing the text of the BCP services of Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, Holy Communion and Compline. These are attractively formatted to print as 5 ½” x 8 ½” booklets. They are suitable for use at retreats, camps, church educational events, and various venues where insufficient copies of the BCP are available.
- Access books here
1962 BCP Psalter Index
Courtesy of Father N.J.A. Humphrey, an index for the 1962 BCP Psalter is available.
- Download here