Fifth Sunday of Lent
April 10, 2011 Cycle A
Purple priestly vestments symbolize penance and preparation.
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Liturgical
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 42:1-2 Give me justice, O
God, and defend my cause against the wicked; rescue me from deceitful and unjust
men. You, O God, are my refuge.
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.
The Absolution:
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, Father, help us to be like Christ your Son, who loved the world and
died for our salvation. Inspire us by his love, guide us by his example,
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 prophet Ezekiel.
First Reading: Ezekiel 37:12-14
Thus says the Lord God: O my people, I will open your graves and have you rise from them, and bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and have you rise from them, O my people! I will put my spirit in you that you may live, and I will settle you upon your land; thus you shall know that I am the Lord. I have promised, and I will do it, says the Lord.
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 119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18.33-34
Cantor: With the Lord there is
mercy, and fullness of redemption.
All: R/. With the
Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.
Cantor: Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord; Lord, hear my
voice! Let your ears be attentive to my voice in supplication.
All: R/. With the
Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.
Cantor: If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?
But with you is forgiveness, that you may be revered.
All: R/. With the
Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.
Cantor: I trust in the Lord; my soul trusts in his word.
More than sentinels wait for the dawn, let Israel wait for the Lord.
All: R/. With the
Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.
Cantor: For with the Lord is kindness and with him is
plenteous redemption; and he will redeem Israel from all their iniquities.
All: R/. With the
Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.
The Second Reading: Taken from the New Testament, often from a letter written by St. Paul.
Priest/Reader: A Reading
from the first letter of Saint Paul to the Romans.
Second Reading: Romans 8:8-11
Brothers and sisters: Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness. If the Spirit of the One who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the One who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit dwelling in you.
Priest/Reader: The
word of the Lord.
All: Thanks
be to God.
The Alleluia:
An ancient expression of joy anticipating
the Lord's message we will hear in the Gospel.
John 1:14a, 12a
Cantor: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, king of endless
glory!
ALL: R/. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, king of endless
glory!
Cantor: I am the resurrection and the life, said the Lord:
he who believes in me will not die for ever.
ALL: R/. 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 John.
All: Glory
to you, Lord.
The Gospel: John 11:1-45
John wrote to show that Christ was
the Messiah, the Divine Son of God.
Now
a man was ill, Lazarus from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
Mary was the one who had anointed the Lord with perfumed oil and dried his feet
with her hair; it was her brother Lazarus who was ill. So the sisters sent word
to Jesus saying, “Master, the one you love is ill.” When Jesus heard this he
said, “This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, that
the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her
sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that he was ill, he remained for two days
in the place where he was. Then after this he said to his disciples, “Let us go
back to Judea.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to
stone you, and you want to go back there?” Jesus answered, “Are there not
twelve hours in a day? If one walks during the day, he does not stumble,
because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks at night, he
stumbles, because the light is not in him.” He said this, and then told them,
“Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I am going to awaken him.” So the disciples
said to him, “Master, if he is asleep, he will be saved.” But Jesus was talking
about his death, while they thought that he meant ordinary sleep. So then Jesus
said to them clearly, “Lazarus has died. And I am glad for you that I was not
there, that you may believe. Let us go to him.” So Thomas, called Didymus,
said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go to die with him.”
When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, only about two miles away. And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask f God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise.” Martha said to him, “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.”
When she has said this, she went and called her sister Mary secretly, saying, “The teacher is here and is asking for you.” As soon as she heard this, she rose quickly and went to him. For Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still where Martha had met him. So when the Jews who were with her in the house comforting her saw Mary get up quickly and go out, they followed her, presuming that she was going to the tomb to weep there. When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping, he became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Sir, come and see.” And Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him.” But some of them said, “Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man have done something so that this man would not have died?”
So Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay across it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to him, “Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus raised his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me.” And when he had said this, he cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to them, :Untie him and let him go.”
Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary
and seen what he had done began to believe in him.
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. The priest makes and offering of the bread and wine to God.
Preparation of the Bread and
Wine:
Priest: Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation, through your goodness we have
this bread to offer, which earth has
given and human hands have made. 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 to
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.
Priest: Lord God, we ask you to receive us and be pleased with the sacrifice we offer you with humble and contrite hearts.
The Priest's Hands are Washed: This act was traditionally 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: Almighty God, may the sacrifice we offer take away the sins of those whom you enlighten with the Christian faith. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.
Eucharistic Prayer:
(Number Two: 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:
Priest: Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord. As a man like us, Jesus wept for Lazarus his friend. As the eternal God, he raised Lazarus from the dead. In his love for us all, Christ gives us the sacraments to lift us up to everlasting life. Through him the angels of heaven offer their prayer of adoration as they rejoice in your presence for ever. May our voices be one with theirs in their triumphant hymn of praise:
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: Lord, you are holy indeed, the fountain of all
holiness. Let your Spirit come upon these gifts to make them holy, so that
they may become for us the body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
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: Before he was given up to death, a death he freely accepted, he took bread and gave you thanks. He broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said:
Take this, all of you and eat of it: this is my Body which will be given up for you.
When supper was ended, He took the cup. Again he gave you thanks and praise, gave the cup to his disciples, and said:
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. It will be shed for you
and for all so that sins may be forgiven. 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:
Recalls Christ's Passion, Resurrection, Ascension, the Church,
the dead, and ourselves.
In memory of His death and resurrection, we offer you, Father, this
life-giving bread, this saving cup. We thank you for counting us worthy to
stand in your presence and serve you. May all of us who share in the body
and blood of Christ be brought together in unity by the Holy Spirit. Lord,
remember your Church throughout the world; make us grow in love, together with
_____ our Pope, _____ our bishop, and all the clergy. Remember our
brothers and sisters who have gone to their rest in the hope of rising again;
bring them and all the departed into the light of your presence. Have
mercy on us all; make us worthy to share eternal life with Mary, the virgin
Mother of God, with the apostles, and with all the saints who have done your
will throughout the ages. May we praise you in union with them, and give
you glory through your Son, Jesus Christ.
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 for the coming of the kingdom as Jesus taught 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 the peace and unity of your kingdom where
you live 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.
Priest: May this mingling of
the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ bring eternal life to us who receive
it.
Communion of the Priest:
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: John 11:26
He who lives and believes in me will not die for ever, said the Lord.
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 healing and strength, now and for ever.
Prayer after Communion:
Priest: Let us pray.
Priest: Almighty Father, by
this sacrifice may we always remain one with your son, Jesus Christ, whose body
and blood we share, for he is Lord for ever and ever.
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, protect your people always, that they may be free from every evil
and serve you with all their hearts.
All:
Amen.
Priest: May
almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen.
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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