Solemnity of the Most Holy
Body and Blood of Christ
Corpus Christi
June 18, 2017 Cycle A
White priestly vestments symbolize purity and integrity of the life of faith.


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Liturgical Year Cycle A 2016-2017
                                     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 98:1-2  O
sing a new song to the Lord, for he has worked wonders; in the sight of the nations he has shown his deliverance, alleluia.

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:   Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
All:   
And with your spirit.


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:  Brothers and sisters, let us acknowledge our sins, and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.
Priest:  Have mercy on us, O Lord.
All:   For we have sinned against you.
Priest:   Show us, O Lord, your mercy.
All:   And grant us your salvation.

The Absolution:

Priest:   May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
All:    Amen.

The Gloria:  The Glory of God prayers have existed from the second century.  They repeat the angels praise of God which heralded the birth of Christ on earth.  Our praise is lifted again through the years as we rejoice at His coming as Lord, God, the most high Jesus Christ, who at Christmas took on our human nature while at the same time being the son of Man. This ancient hymn expresses our recognition of God's glory and love.  It calls upon Christ as our holy and divine mediator, and the Holy Spirit who forever binds us together in God's love.

Priest and All:   Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will.  We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory.  Lord God, heavenly King, O God, almighty Father.  Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of God, son of the Father, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us; you take away the sins of the world, receive your prayer; you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.  For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father.  Amen.

The Collect: 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:  Almighty ever-living God, constantly accomplish the Paschal Mystery within us, that those you were pleased to make new in Holy Baptism may, under your protective care, bear much fruit and come to the joys of the eternal.  Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of 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 Acts of the Apostles.

First Reading:  Acts 6:1-7

As the number of disciples continued to grow, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.  So the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said, “It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table.  Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task, whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”  The proposal was acceptable to the whole community, so they chose Stephen, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit, also Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas of Antioch, a convert to Judaism.  They presented these men to the apostles who prayed and laid hands on them.  The word of God continued to spread, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly; even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith.

Priest/Reader:   The Word of the Lord.
All:     T
hanks 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 33:22, Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19

Cantor:  L
ord, 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:  Exult, you just, in the Lord; praise from the upright is fitting.  Give thanks to the Lord on the harp; with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
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.

The Second Reading:  Taken from the New Testament, often from a letter written by St. Paul.

Priest/Reader:   A Reading from a letter of St. Peter.   

Second Reading:  1 Peter 2:4-9

B
eloved: Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings but chosen and precious in the sight of God, and, like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  For it says in Scripture: Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion, a cornerstone, chosen and precious, and whoever believes in it shall not be put to shame. 

Therefore, its value is for you who have faith, but for those without faith: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, and A stone that that make people stumble, and a rock that will make them fall.

They stumble by disobeying the word, as is their destiny.  You are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises” of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

The Alleluia:  An ancient expression of joy anticipating the Lord's message we will hear in the Gospel.

John 14:6

Cantor:    Alleluia!  Alleluia!  Alleluia!
All:  R/.  A
lleluia!  Alleluia!  Alleluia!
Cantor:    I
am the way, the truth, and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father, except through me.
All:  R/.  Alleluia!  Alleluia!  Alleluia!

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:   C
leanse 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:     A
nd with your spirit. 
Priest/Deacon:   A
reading from the holy Gospel according to John.
All:     G
lory to you, Lord.

The Gospel:   John 14:1-12

John wrote to show that Christ was
the Messiah, the Divine Son of God.

Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.  You have faith in God; have faith also in me.  In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.  If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.  Where I am going you know the way.”  Thomas said to him, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?”  Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.  If know me, then you will also know my Father.  From now on you do know him and have seen him.”  Philip said to him, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us,.”  Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip?  Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.  How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?  Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?  The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.  The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.  Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves.  Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.”

Priest/Deacon:   T
he Gospel of the Lord.

All:      P
raise 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, 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 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:    With humble spirit and contrite heart may we be accepted by you, O Lord, and may our sacrifice in your sight this day be pleasing to you, Lord God.

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:    Wash me o Lord, from m iniquity and cleanse 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:   O God, who by the wonderful exchange effected in this sacrifice have made us partakers of the one supreme Godhead, grant, we pray, that, as we have come to know your truth, we may make it ours by a worthy way of life.  Through Christ our Lord.

Eucharistic Prayer:   (Number One: The priest may select from several forms).

Priest:    The Lord be with you.
All:    And with your spirit. 

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 and just. 

Preface Prayer: 

Priest:    It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, at all times to acclaim you, O Lord, but in this time above all to laud you yet more gloriously, when Christ our Passover has been sacrificed.

For, with the old order destroyed, a universe cast down is renewed, and integrity of life is restored to us in Christ.

Therefore, overcome with paschal joy, every land, every people exults in your praise and even the heavenly Powers, with the angelic hosts, sing together the unending hymn of your glory, as they acclaim:

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:   We come to you, Father, with praise and thanksgiving, through Jesus Christ your Son.  Through him we ask you to accept and bless these gifts we offer you in sacrifice.

We offer them for your holy catholic Church, watch over it, Lord, and guide it; grant it peace and unity throughout the world.  We offer them for _____ our Pope, for _____ our bishop, and for all who hold and teach the catholic faith that comes to us from the apostles.

Remember, Lord, your people, especially those for whom we now pray, _____ and _____.  Remember all of us gathered here before you.  You know how firmly we believe in you and dedicate ourselves to you.  We offer you this sacrifice of praise for ourselves and those who are dear to us.  We pray to you, our living and true God, for our well-being and redemption.

In union with the whole Church we honor Mary, the ever-virgin mother of Jesus Christ our Lord and God.  We honor Joseph, her husband, the apostles and martyrs Peter and Paul, Andrew, James, John, Thomas, James, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Simon and Jude; we honor Linus, Cletus, Clement, Sixtus, Cornelius, Cyprian, Lawrence, Chrysogonus, John and Paul, Cosmas and Damian and all the saints.  May their merits and prayers gain us your constant help and protection.  Through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Father, accept this offering from your whole family.  Grant us your peace in this life, save us from final damnation, and count us among those you have chosen.  Through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Bless and approve our offering; make it acceptable to you, an offering in spirit and in truth.  Let it become for us the body and blood of Jesus Christ, your only Son, our Lord.  Through Christ our Lord.  Amen.
                
                               
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:   The day before he suffered he took bread in his sacred hands and looking up to heaven, to you, his almighty Father, he 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.
                                    

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; 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:    We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.

Memorial Prayer:

Priest:   Father, we celebrate the memory of Christ, your Son.  We, your people and your ministers, recall his passion, his resurrection from the dead, and his ascension into glory; and from the many gifts you have given us we offer to you, God of glory and majesty, this holy and perfect sacrifice: the bread of life and the cup of eternal salvation.

Look with favor on these offerings and accept them as once you accepted the gifts of your servant Able, the sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith, and the bread and wine offered by your priest Melchisedech.

Almighty God, we pray that your angel may take this sacrifice to your altar in heaven.  Then, as we receive from this altar the sacred body and blood of your Son, let us be filled with every grace and blessing.  Through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Remember, Lord, those who have died and have gone before us marked with the sign of faith, especially those for whom we now pray, _____ and _____.  May these, and all who sleep in Christ, find in your presence light, happiness, and peace.  Through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

For ourselves, too, we ask some share in the fellowship of your apostles and martyrs, with John the Baptist, Stephen, Matthias, Barnabas, Ignatius, Alexander, Marcellinus, Peter, Felicity, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucy, Agnes, Cecilia, Anastasia and all the saints.  Though we are sinners, we trust in your mercy and love.  Do not consider what we truly deserve, but grant us your forgiveness.  Through Christ our Lord.

Through him you give us all these gifts.  You fill them with life and goodness, you bless them and make them holy.

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.  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 ask our Father to forgive our sins and to bring us to forgive those who sin against 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, we pray, from every evil, graciously grant peace in our days, that, by the help of your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
All:   F
or 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: I leave you peace, my peace I give you. Look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church, and grant us peace and unity of your kingdom where you live for ever and ever.  Amen.
                                     

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:

John 4:13-14
Priest:   F
or anyone who drinks it, says the Lord, the water I shall give will become in him a spring welling up to eternal life.

Communion of the Faithful:

Priest:    The Body of Christ.    
The Faithful:   
Amen.

Priest/Deacon/
Extraordinary Eucharistic Minister:
  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:   As we receive the pledge of things yet hidden in heaven and are nourished while still on earth with the Bread that comes from on high, we humbly entreat you, O Lord, that what is being brought about in us in mystery may come to true completion.  Through Christ our Lord.
All:    Amen.
                                         Concluding Rite

Priest:   The Lord be with you.
All:     And with your spirit. 
Priest:   Bow down for the blessing.

Dismissal Prayer

Priest:   May God, who by the Resurrection of his Only Begotten Son was pleased to confer on you the gift of redemption and of adoption, give you gladness by his blessing.
All:      Amen.
Priest:   May he, by whose redeeming work you have received the gift of everlasting freedom, make you heirs to an eternal inheritance.
All:      Amen.
Priest:   And may you, who have already risen with Christ in Baptism through faith, by living in a right manner on this earth, be united with him in the homeland of heaven.
All:     Amen.

Final Blessing:

Priest:   And may the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, come down on you and remain with you for ever. 

Dismissal Prayer:

Priest:  Go forth, the Mass is ended, alleluia, alleluia.     
All:
   Thanks be to God, alleluia, alleluia. 

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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Liturgical Year Cycle A 2016-2017