Solemnity of the
Immaculate Conception
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
December 8, 2017 Cycle B
White priestly vestments symbolize purity and integrity of the life of Faith.
Home Page
Liturgical
Year Cycle B 2017-2018
This is the Mass Introduction
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
Isaiah 61:10 I
rejoice heartily in the Lord, in my God is the joy of
my soul; for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation, and wrapped me in a
mantle of justice, like a bride adorned with her jewels.
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. 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 peace to his people
on earth. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship
you, we give you thinks, we praise you for your glory. Lord Jesus Christ,
only son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the
world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive
our prayer. 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: Let us pray.
Priest: O God, who by the Immaculate Conception of the
Blessed Virgin prepared a worthy dwelling for your son, grant, we pray, that, as
you preserved her from every stain by virtue of the Death of your son, which you
foresaw, so, through her intercession, we, too, may be cleansed and admitted to
your presence. 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 Book of Genesis.
First Reading: Genesis 3:9-15, 20
After the man, Adam, had
eaten of the tree, the Lord God called to the man and asked him, "Where are
you?" He answered, "I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I
was naked, so I hid myself." Then he asked, "Who told you that you were
naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to
eat!" The man replied, "The woman whom you put here with me - she gave me
fruit from the tree, and so I ate it." The Lord God then asked the woman,
"Why did you do such a thing?" The woman answered, "The serpent tricked me
into it, so I ate it."
The the Lord God said to
the serpent: "Because you have done this, you shall be banned from all the
animals and from all the wild creatures; on your belly shall you crawl, and dirt
shall you eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and
the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head,
while you strike at his heel."
The man called his wife
Eve, because she became the mother of all the living.
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 98:1, 2-3, 3-4
Cantor: Sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous deeds.
All: R/. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done
marvelous deeds.
Cantor: Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done wondrous
deeds; his right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm.
All: R/. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has
done marvelous deeds.
Cantor: The Lord has made his salvation known: in the sight of the
nations he has revealed his justice. He has remembered his kindness and
his faithfulness toward the house of Israel.
All: R/. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done
marvelous deeds.
Cantor: All the end of the earth have seen the salvation by our
God. Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands; break into song; sing
praise.
All: R/. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done
marvelous deeds.
The Second Reading:
Taken from the New Testament, often
from a letter written by St. Paul.
Priest/Reader: A Reading
from the second letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians.
Second Reading: Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12
Brothers and sisters:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in
Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him,
before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him.
In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord
with the favor of his will, for the praise of the glory of his grace that he
granted us in the beloved.
In him we were also
chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the One who accomplishes all
things according to the intention of his will, so that we might exist for the
praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ.
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.
Luke 1:28
Cantor: Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia!
ALL: R/. Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia!
Cantor: Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you;
blessed are you among women.
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: 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 Luke.
All: Glory
to you, Lord.
Gospel: Luke 1:26-38
Written to explain that Christ
came to save everyone.
The
angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a
virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's
name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, "Hail, favored one! The
Lord is with you." But she was greatly troubled at what was said and
pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you
will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will
give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of
Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." But Mary said to
the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" And
the angel said to her in reply, "The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the
power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who
was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God." Mary said,
"Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to
your word." Then the angel departed from her.
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,
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: Graciously
accept the saving sacrifice which we offer you, O Lord, on the solemnity of the
Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and grant that, as we profess
her, on account of your prevenient grace, to be untouched by any stain of sin,
so, through her intercession, we may be delivered from all our faults.
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 to
give him thanks and praise.
Preface Prayer:
Priest: It
is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to
give you thanks, Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God. For you
preserved the most Blessed Virgin Mary from all stain of original sin, so that
in her, endowed with the rich fullness of your grace, you might prepare a worthy
Mother for your Son and signify the beginning of the Church, his beautiful Bride
without spot or wrinkle. She, the most pure Virgin, was to bring forth a
Son, the innocent Lamb who would wipe away our offenses; you placed her above
all others to be for your people an advocate of grace and a model of holiness.
And so, in company with the choirs of angles, we praise you, with with joy we
proclaim:
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: To
you, therefore, most merciful Father, we make humble prayer and petition through
Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord: that you accept and bless these gifts, these
offerings, these holy and unblemished sacrifices, which we offer you firstly for
your holy catholic church. Be pleased to grant her peace, to guard, unite
and govern her throughout the whole world, together with your servant ______,
our Pope and _____, our Bishop, and all those who, holding to the truth, hand on
the catholic and apostolic faith.
Remember, Lord, your servants _____ and _____
and all gathered here, whose faith and devotion are known to you. For
them, we offer you this sacrifice of praise or they offer it for themselves and
all who are dear to them: for the redemption of their souls, in hope of health
and well-being, and paying their homage to you, the eternal God, living and
true.
In communion with those whose memory we
venerate, especially the glorious ever-Virgin Mary, Mother of our God and Lord,
Jesus Christ, and blessed Joseph, her Spouse, your blessed Apostles and Martyrs,
Peter and Paul, Andrew, James, John, Thomas, James, Philip, Bartholomew,
Matthew, Simon and Jude; Linus, Cletus, Clement, Sixtus, Cornelius, Cyprian,
Lawrence, Chrysogonus, John and Paul, Cosmas and Damian and all your Saints; we
ask that through their merits and prayers, in all things we may be defended by
your protecting help. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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:
On the day before he was to suffer, he took
bread in his holy and venerable hands, and with eyes raised to heaven to you, his almighty Father,
giving you thanks, he said the blessing, broke the bread and gave it to his
disciples, saying:
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.
The Mystery of Faith:
Priest: Let us proclaim the mystery of faith:
Priest
and All: When we
eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you
come again.
Memorial Prayer:
Priest: Therefore, O Lord, as we celebrate the memorial of the
blessed Passion, the Resurrection from the dead, and the glorious Ascension into
heaven of Christ, your Son, our Lord, we, your servants and your holy people,
offer to your glorious majesty from the gifts that you have given us, this pure
victim, this holy victim, this spotless victim, the holy Bread of eternal life
and the Chalice of everlasting salvation.
Be pleased to look upon these offerings with
a serene and kindly countenance, and to accept them, as once you were pleased to
accept the gifts of your servant Abel the just, the sacrifice of Abraham, our
father in faith, and the offering of your high priest Melchizedek, a holy
sacrifice, a spotless victim.
In humble prayer we ask you, almighty God:
command that these gifts be borne by the hands of your holy Angel to your altar
on high in the sight of your divine majesty, so that all of us, who through this
participation at the altar receive the most holy Body and Blood of your Son, may
be filled with every grace and heavenly blessing. Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Remember also, Lord, your servants _____ and
_____, who have gone before us with the sing of faith and rest in the sleep of
peace. Grant them, O Lord, we pray, and all who
sleep in Christ, a place of refreshment, light and peace. Through Christ
our Lord. Amen.
To us, also, your servants, who, though sinners,
hope in your abundant mercies, graciously grant some share and fellowship with
your holy Apostles and martyrs: with John the Baptist, Stephen, Matthias,
Barnabas, (Ignatius, Alexander, Marcellinus, Peter, Felicity, Perpetua, Agatha,
Lucy, Agnes, Cecilia, Anastasia) and all your Saints; admit us, we beseech you,
into their company not weighing our merits, but granting us your pardon, through
Christ our Lord.
Through whom you continue to make all these good
things, O Lord; you sanctify them, 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:
At the Savior's command and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say:
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: 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: I leave you peace, 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 sing of peace.
Breaking of the Bread:
Priest: May this mingling of the body and blood of our Lord
Jesus Christ bring eternal life to us who receive it.
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:
Priestly Preparation:
May
the receiving of your Body and Blood, Lord Jesus Christ, not bring me to
judgment and condemnation, but through your loving mercy be for me protection in
mind and body and a healing remedy.
Priest: Behold 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:
Priest: Glorious things are
spoken of you, O Mary, for from you arose the son of justice, Christ our God.
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: May the Sacrament we have received, O Lord our God,
heal in us the wounds of that fault from which in a singular way you preserved
Blessed Mary in her Immaculate Conception. Through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
Concluding Rite
Priest: The Lord be with you.
All: And
with your spirit.
Priest:
Bow your heads and pray for God's blessing.
Dismissal Prayer:
Priest: May God, who through the childbearing of the Blessed Virgin
Mary willed in his great kindness to redeem the human race, be pleased to enrich
you with his blessing.
All: Amen.
Priest: May you know always and everywhere the protection of her,
through whom you have been found worthy to receive the author of life.
All: Amen.
Priest: May you, who have devoutly gathered on this day, carry away
with you the gifts of spiritual joys and heavenly rewards.
All: Amen.
Final Blessing:
Priest: And may the blessings of almighty God, the Father, and the Son,
and the Holy Spirit, come down on you and remain with you for ever.
All: Amen.
Dismissal:
Priest / Deacon: Go forth, the Mass is
ended.
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.
www.Divinemasterplanforlife.com
www.Saintsnheaven.com
Top
Home Page
Liturgical
Year Cycle B 2017-2018