Second Sunday of Lent
March 20, 2011 Cycle A
Purple priestly vestments symbolize penance and preparation.
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Cycles A 10-11
Introductory Acts Of Worship
The Entrance Prayers:
On Sunday, usually a hymn praising God
is sung in place of reciting a Psalm from the Bible which invites us to
enter more deeply into the mystery of God's love for us. The recited
weekday Psalm expresses a youthful heart and spirit, delighted that we may come
before the living God.
Entrance Song
/ Entrance Psalm (Antiphon)
Entrance Song
Psalm 24:6, 3,22 Remember
your mercies, Lord, your tenderness from ages past. Do not let our enemies
triumph over us; O God, deliver Israel from all her distress.
The Priest Approaches and Kisses the Altar: The altar is a symbol of Christ. In it are cut five crosses to recall the five wounds of Christ. The altar also represents the Church and has embedded in it the relics of her saints. The priest comes to the altar to celebrate the Sacrifice in the Church's name. Because of the glory surrounding the altar upon which the divine Sacrifice will be made, the kiss of the priest unites the Church to Christ, its Redeemer.
Priest:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
All:
Amen.
The Greeting:
We are welcomed in God's name. Our
response unites us to our neighbor, to the priest and to God. (The priest
may select from several forms of greeting).
Priest: The Lord
be with you.
All:
And also with you.
The Penitential Prayers:
We recognize our guilt for past sins,
express our sorrow for them, and ask that Mary, the angels, the saints, and our
brothers and sisters in Christ pray for the Lord God's mercy. (The priest
may select from several forms).
Priest: As we prepare to celebrate the mystery of Christ's love, let us acknowledge our failures and ask the Lord for pardon and strength.
All: I confess to almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned through my own fault in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done, and in what I have failed to do; and I ask blessed Mary, ever virgin, all the angels and saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.
Priest: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins,
and bring us to everlasting life.
All: Amen.
The Opening Prayer:
The
priest lifts the united prayers and petitions of the congregation to God the
Father through the merits of Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit.
Priest: Let
us pray. God our Father, help us to hear your Son. Enlighten us with
your word, that we may find the way to your glory. We ask this through our
Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Liturgy of the Word
Christ is made known to us through the
Old Testament which prepares us to recognize Him. In those days, God
inspired men who spoke His message. Now, the New Testament Gospel reading
announces His presence to us directly through His Son. Both
readings bring God's message to us. Our responsibility is to respond.
The First Reading:
From the Old Testament
Priest/Reader: A reading from the book of Genesis.
First Reading: Genesis 12:1-4a
The Lord said to Abram: “Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from
your father’s house to a land that I will show you. “I will make of you a
great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you
will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse
you. All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you.” Abram
went as the Lord directed him.
Priest/Reader:
The Word of the
Lord.
All:
Thanks
be to God.
The Responsorial Psalm:
This Psalm praising God, is a prayer to God,
or recommends the practice of virtue. It is sung as an interlude between
the scriptural readings. It provides yet another instructional setting and
invites the assembly to imitate the cantor who sings a repeated response to the
verses of an ancient Psalm many of which are attributed to King David. The
verses are sung first by a cantor (song leader) accompanied by instruments, the
refrain is sung by the people.
Psalm 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22
Cantor: Lord, let your mercy be
on us, as we place our trust in you.
All:
Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place
our trust in you.
Cantor: Upright is the word of the Lord, and all his works
are trustworthy. He loves justice and right; of the kindness of the Lord
the earth is full.
All:
Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place
our trust in you.
Cantor: See, the eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear
him, upon those who hope for his kindness, to deliver them from death and
preserve them in spite of famine.
All:
Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place
our trust in you.
Cantor: Our soul waits for the Lord, who is our help and our
shield. May your kindness, O Lord, be upon us who have put our hope in
you.
All:
Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place
our trust in you.
Priest/Reader: A Reading
from the second Letter of Saint Paul to Timothy.
Second Reading: 2 Timothy 1:8b-10
Beloved: Bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that
comes from God. He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our
works but according to his own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ
Jesus before time began, but now made manifest through the appearance of our
savior Christ Jesus, who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to
light through the gospel.
Priest/Reader: The
word of the Lord.
All: Thanks
be to God.
Cantor: Praise to you, Lord
Jesus Christ, king of endless glory!
All Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, king of endless
glory!
Cantor: From the shining cloud the Father's voice is
heard: this is my beloved Son; hear him.
All: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, king of endless
glory!
The Gospel:
The Liturgy of the Word is completed
by the reading of the Gospel. Before its reading, the members of the
assembly trace the sign of the cross upon the forehead to indicate their mental
acceptance of the Truth, on the lips to indicate their readiness to announce it,
and over the heart to indicate their sincere desire to accept it into their
lives. The "Good News" of the Gospel tells that God's kingdom has come for
all to hear, accept, and announce to the world for its salvation. It
is God who is speaking to us. Christ comes to teach us by the example of
His life and by His own words.
Priest: Cleanse my heart and my lips, almighty God, that I may worthily proclaim your
holy Gospel. Through the words of the Gospel may our sins be wiped away.
Priest: The Lord be with you.
All: And
also with you.
Priest/Deacon: A
reading from the holy Gospel according
to Matthew.
All: Glory
to you, Lord.
The Gospel: Matthew 17:1-9
Matthew wrote to show that Christ
was the
Messiah and fulfilled the Jewish prophecies.
Jesus
took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by
themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun
and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to
them, conversing with him. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Lord, it is good
that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one
for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, behold, a bright
cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This
is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the
disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid. But Jesus
came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” And when the
disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone.
As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, “Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
Priest: The
Gospel of the Lord.
All: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
The Priest's Sermon:
The priest develops, explains, and comments upon the Master's words,
so our minds may be
enlightened, and our
hearts enriched.
(A priestly reflection upon this Gospel)
Profession of Faith: We state in the Nicene Creed the principles of our faith in precise and definite terms.
All: We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered, died, and was buried. On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the son. With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
General Intercessions:
We pray for the needs of the pope, civic
leaders, our own needs, those of others,
the sick, the dying, those who have died, the church, and the world.
The response of all to each intercession: Lord, hear our prayer.
All: Lord,
hear our prayer.
The Liturgy of the Eucharist
Gifts of bread and wine symbolizing ourselves are presented to the priest who will offer them to God the Father. Through the Holy Spirit, they will become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ whom we receive in Holy Communion. Jesus unites Himself with us for our spiritual nourishment and strength. Today, when individuals do not present their own personal offerings of bread and wine, the monetary contribution symbolizes the material of their united sacrifice.
Preparation of the Bread and Wine:
Priest: Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation, for through your goodness we have
received the bread we offer you;
fruit of the earth and work of human hands, it will become for us the bread of life.
All:
Blessed be God for ever.
Priest: By the mystery
of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ, who
humbled himself share
in our humanity.
Priest: Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have
received the wine we offer you; fruit
of the vine and work of human hands it will become our spiritual drink.
All: Blessed be God for ever.
The Priest's Hands are Washed: This act was traditional necessary because the priest handled the various gifts presented by the people. Now, the cleansing act using water reminds the priest and ourselves of the need to cleanse not only the hands but the soul. Soon, the priest's hands will hold the actual body of Christ, and we will become His dwelling place.
Priest: Lord,
wash away my iniquity; cleans me from my sin.
Pray, brethren, that
my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father.
All: May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands, for the praise and glory of his
name, for our good, and the good of
all his holy Church.
Prayer over the Gifts: Speaking in our name, the priest asks the Father to accept the gifts we offer through him.
Priest: Lord, make us holy. May this Eucharist take away our sins that we may be prepared to celebrate the resurrection. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.
Eucharistic Prayer:
(Number Three: The priest may select from several forms).
Priest: The Lord be with you.
All: And also with you.
Priest: Lift up your hearts.
All: We lift them up to the Lord.
Priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord, our God.
All: It is right to
give him thanks and praise.
Preface Prayer:
Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord. On your holy mountain he revealed himself in glory in the presence of his disciples. He had already prepared them for his approaching death. He wanted to teach them through the Law and the Prophets that the promised Christ had first to suffer and so come to the glory of his resurrection. In our unending joy we echo on earth the song of the angels in heaven as they praise your glory for ever:
Acclamation:
Priest and All: 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.
Priest: Father, you are holy indeed, and all creation rightly gives you praise. All life, all holiness comes from you through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, by the working of the Holy Spirit. From age to age you gather a people to yourself, so that from east to west a perfect offering may be made to the glory of your name.
The priest repeats the words which
Christ used at his Last Supper when He changed the bread into His Body and the
wine into His Blood. His Body and Blood are truly present but under the
appearance of bread and wine. The death of Christ is prolonged in each of
those who receive Him worthily. We apply His death to ourselves so that we
may share His glory. This moment is the most solemn on earth because it is
Divine act which enables us to apply to ourselves the Cross which Christ
willingly took upon Himself.
We are called to die to sin and
lift our very selves to God so that we become changed; to do as God would have
us do, to become what God would have us become. Our own little cross can
lift us into union with Christ's Cross so we may earn the joys of everlasting
happiness with God the Father.
The Lord's Supper: And so, Father, we bring you these gifts. We ask you to make them holy by the power of your Spirit, that they may become the body and blood of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, at whose command we celebrate this Eucharist. On the night he was betrayed, he took bread and gave you thanks and praise. He broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said:
Take this, all of you and eat of it: for this is my Body which will be given up for you.
In a similar way, when supper was ended,
He took this precious chalice
in His holy and venerable hands, and once more giving you thanks, He said the blessing and gave the
chalice to His disciples,
saying:
Take this, all of you, and drink from it; for this is the chalice of my
Blood, the Blood of the new and eternal covenant; which will be poured out for you and for many for the
forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of me.
Memorial Acclamation: (The priest may select from several forms).
Priest: Let us proclaim the mystery of faith:
Priest
and All: Dying
you destroyed our death, rising you restored our life. Lord Jesus, come in
glory.
Memorial Prayer: (The
priest may select from several forms).
Priest:
Recalling Christ's Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension:
Father, calling to mind the death your Son endured for our salvation, his
glorious resurrection and ascension into heaven, and ready to greet him when he
comes again, we offer you in thanksgiving this holy and living sacrifice.
Look with favor on your Church's offering, and see the Victim whom death has
reconciled us to yourself. Grant that we, who are nourished by his body
and blood, may be filled with this Holy Spirit, and become one body, one spirit
in Christ.
For Those Present: May he make us an everlasting gift to you and enable us to share in the inheritance of your saints, with Mary, the virgin Mother of God; with the apostles, the martyrs, and all your saints, on whose constant intercession we rely for help. Lord, may this sacrifice, which has made our peace with you, advance the peace and salvation of all the world. Strengthen in faith and love your pilgrim Church on earth; your servant, Pope _____, our bishop _____, and all the bishops, with the clergy and the entire people your Son has gained for you. Father, hear the prayers of the family you have gathered here before you. In mercy and love unite all your children wherever they may be.
For the Dead: Welcome into your kingdom our departed brothers and sisters, and all who have left this world in your friendship.
For Ourselves: We hope to enjoy for ever the vision of your glory, through Christ our Lord, from whom all good things come.
Through whom you continue to create all these good things, O Lord; you
make them holy, fill them with life, bless them, and bestow them upon us.
Doxology:
Prayer of Praise: Through him, with him,
and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours,
almighty Father, for ever and ever.
All: Amen.
Communion Rite
In the Liturgy of the Eucharist, we symbolically offer ourselves to the Lord through the gifts of bread and wine. At the Consecration, we offer our very lives to be united the God the Father through the Cross of Christ. In Communion, we find that we have not died at all, but have come to life. We have surrendered ourselves to God through His Divine Son, Jesus Christ. In return become ennobled and enriched. We give up time and we get eternity, we give up our sin and we receive grace, we surrender our self-will and receive the strength of the Divine Will, we give up ourselves and we receive everything. For the Son of God says to us that unless we receive Him we shall not have Divine life in us. But it is not really we who receive Christ as it is Christ who receives us, bringing us into Himself.
God makes His Cross the very means of our salvation and our life. While we have crucified Him, His eternal love cannot be extinguished. Christ willed to give us the very life we crucified in our Redemption, the Consecration of Holy Thursday into Communion, His death into our everlasting life.
The Lord's Prayer:
Priest:
Let us pray with confidence to the Father in the words our Savior gave us.
Priest and
All: Our
Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be they 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.
Priest: Deliver us, Lord, from every evil,
and grant us peace in our day. In your mercy keep us free from sin and
protect us from all anxiety as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our
Savior, Jesus Christ.
All: For the kingdom, the power and
the glory are yours, now and for ever.
Prayer for
Peace:
Priest: Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your apostles,
peace I leave you, my peace I give you, look not on our sins, but on the faith
of your Church, and graciously grant her peace and unity in
accordance with your will. Who live and reign for ever and ever.
All: Amen.
Priest: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
All: And with your spirit.
Priest: Let us offer each other the sign of peace.
Breaking of the Bread:
Priest and All: Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the
world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.
Communion of the Priest:
Priest: May this mingling of
the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ bring eternal life to us who receive
it.
Priestly Preparation: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, who by the will of the Father and the
work of the Holy Spirit, through
your death gave life to the world; free me by this your most holy Body and Blood
from all my sins and from every evil; keep me always faithful to your commandments, and never let me be
parted from you.
Priest: This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Happy are those who are called to his supper.
Priest and All: Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.
Priest: May the Body of Christ keep me safe for eternal life.
May the Blood of Christ keep me safe for eternal life.
Communion Antiphon:
Communion Song: Matthew 17:5
This is my Son, my beloved, in whom is all my delight: listen to him.
Communion of the Faithful:
Priest:
The Body of Christ.
The Faithful: Amen.
Priest:
The Blood of Christ.
The Faithful: Amen.
Cleansing of the Vessels:
Priest: Lord,
may I receive these gifts in purity of heart. May they bring me haling and
strength, now and for ever.
Prayer after Communion:
Priest: Let us pray.
Priest: Lord,
we give thanks for these holy mysteries which bring to us here on earth a share
in the life to come, through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
Concluding Rite
Priest: The Lord be with you.
All: And also with you.
Priest: Bow your heads and let us pray for God's blessing.
Dismissal Prayer: (The priest may select from several forms)
Priest: Lord, we rejoice that you are our creator and ruler.
As we call upon your generosity, renew and keep us in your love. Grant
this through Christ our Lord.
All:
Amen.
Priest: May
almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All: Thanks be to God!
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins.
Save us from the fires of hell.
Lead all souls to heaven,
especially those in most need of your mercy.
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