welcome to canterbury cathedral as we say our prayers outside the cathedral where public services have ceased at this time of coronavirus but we welcome you here wherever you are in the world and say our prayers together at this desperate time for the whole of humanity as we try to care for one another as best we can this weekend begins the transition in our season of lent when we leave the story of jesus in the wilderness facing temptation and go to his journey to jerusalem where he will face crucifixion and death and he is sensing this as we read our lessons this afternoon he knows what his vocation will bring so we say our evening prayers on this the eve of the day that we call passion sunday blessed are you lord god of our salvation to you be glory and praise forever as we behold your son enthroned on the cross stir up in us the fire of your love that we may be cleansed from all our sins and walk with you in newness of life singing the praise of him who died for us and our salvation blessed be god father son and holy spirit blessed be god forever at this time our hymns change and give us well-loved verses which many of us know by heart perhaps the one that comes to mind is when i survey the wondrous cross on which the prince of glory died my richest gain i count but loss and poor contempt on all my pride we use what might be called a new testament psalm some poetic verses in the epistle of sin paul to the philippians christ jesus was in the form of god but he did not cling to equality with god he emptied himself taking the form of a servant and was born in our human likeness being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even death on a cross therefore god has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name above every name that at the name of jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that jesus christ is lord to the glory of god the father as our reading from the gospel this afternoon we take a passage from the 20th chapter of the gospel of saint matthew jesus and his disciples are on the road together and jesus is leading them towards jerusalem where he knows his vocation awaits him and as jesus was going up to jerusalem he took the twelve disciples aside and on the way he said to them behold we are going up to jerusalem and the son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes and they will condemn him to death and deliver him to the gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified and he will be raised on the third day then the mother of the sons of zebedee james and john came up to him with her sons and kneeling before him she asked him for something and jesus said to her what do you want she said to him command that these two sons of mine may sit one at your right hand and one at your left in your kingdom but jesus answered you do not know what you are asking are you able to drink the cup that i am to drink james and john said to him we are able he said to them you will drink my cup but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my father now when the other disciples heard of this they were indignant at the two brothers but jesus called them to him and said you know that the rulers of the gentiles lord it over them and their great men exercise authority over them it shall not be so among you but whoever would be great among you must be your servant and whoever would be first among you must be your slave even as the son of man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many it's interesting that in the earliest of the gospels said mark it's james and john themselves that ask this favor and luke and matthew tone that down to cause their mother to ask it for her two sons of whom no doubt she was very proud jesus has a sense of who will be on his right hand and on his left in the glory of the cross and later on in their ministry he knows that james and john will drink the cup of suffering to the full but for the moment he continues and calls the twelve or rather angry that this favor has been asked and says you must not show the kind of authority and lordship over one another that the rulers of the gentiles asked those who would be your leaders must be your ministers your servants we might add in every walk of life for to serve one another is truly to minister to one another and there was never a time in human history when that vocation of serving each other was needed more than now at this time of coronavirus a danger which the whole world shares so we say some evening prayers as we look towards the cross and together we give thanks for our lord's vocation first of all a prayer which had its derivation in india may the cross of the son of god which is mightier than all the hosts of evil and more glorious than all the hosts of heaven abide with us in our going out and are coming in by day and by night at morning and that evening at all times and in all places may the cross protect and defend us from the wrath and assaults of evil spirits from foes visible and invisible from the snares of the devil and from all passions that beguile the soul and body may the cross guard and protect and deliver us amen so we say the prayer which is on our own website and this prayer tonight is asking god's blessing upon all those who are trying to combat the coronavirus and also god's blessing on those suffering from it god of all knowledge through whom all truth is made known bless with your insight all those researchers working strenuously to find a vaccine for covid19 and treatment for its effects guide them with your wisdom strengthen them with your power and bring their labor to its fruition that through their work our world would come to know that safety and stability and health for which we long through jesus christ our lord amen so we say together as always in our prayers the prayer that our savior taught us in whatever way you would like to and in whichever language 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 forever and ever amen so we keep silence for a moment to make any prayers special to ourselves on this eve of passion sunday and on this evening may god the father the son and the holy spirit bless protect and keep you and all those whom you love this night and forever amen