Second Sunday of Lent
February 25, 2018 Cycle B
Purple priestly vestments symbolize penance and preparation.
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Liturgical
Year Cycle B 2017-2018
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 27:8-9 Of you my heart
has spoken: Seek his face. It is your face, O Lord, that I seek; hide not your
face from me.
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
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the
Holy Spirit be with you all.
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 / All: I confess to almighty God and to you, my
brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts and in my
words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, through my fault,
through my fault, through my most grievous fault; therefore 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 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 have commanded us to listen to your beloved
Son, be pleased, we pray, to nourish us inwardly by your word, that, with
spiritual sight made pure, we may rejoice to behold your glory. 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.
All: Amen.
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 Book of Genesis.
Genesis 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18
God put Abraham to the test. He called to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am!” he replied. Then God said: “Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love, and go the land of Moriah. There you shall offer him up as a holocaust on a height that I will point out to you.”
When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the Lord’s messenger called to him from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!” “Here I am!” He answered. “Do not lay your hand on the boy,” said the messenger. “Do not do the least thing to him. I know now how devoted you are to God, since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son.” As Abraham looked about, he spied a ram caught by its horns in the thicket. So he went and took the ram and offered it up as a holocaust in place of his son.
Again the Lord’s messenger called to Abraham from heaven and said: “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you acted as you did in not withholding from my your beloved son, I will bless you abundantly and make your descendants as countless as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore; your descendants shall take possession of the gates of their enemies, and in your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing – all this because you obeyed my command.”
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.
Responsorial
Psalm 116:10, 115, 16-17, 18-19
Isaiah 61:10b
Cantor: I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
All: R/. I
will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
Cantor: I believed, even when I said, “I am greatly
afflicted.” Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones.
All: R/. I
will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
Cantor: O Lord, I am your servant; I am your servant, the son
of your handmaid; you have loosed my bonds. To you will I offer sacrifice of
thanksgiving, and I will call upon the name of the Lord.
All: R/. I
will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
Cantor:
My vows to the Lord I will pay in the
presence of all his people, in the courts of the house of the Lord, in your
midst, O Jerusalem.
All: R/. I
will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
The Second Reading: Taken from the New Testament, often from a letter written by St. Paul.
Romans 8:31b-34
Brothers and sisters: If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him?
Who will bring a charge against God’s chosen ones? It is God who acquits us. Who will condemn? Christ Jesus it is who died – or, rather, was raised – who also is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us.
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.
Matthew 17:5
Cantor: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ, king of endless
glory.
All: R/. 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, listen to him.
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.
Priest: The Lord be with you.
All: And with our spirit.
Priest/Deacon: A
reading from the holy Gospel according
to Mark.
All: Glory
to you, Lord.
The Gospel: Mark 9:2-10
Mark's writings explain Christ to the
Gentiles who had become Christian.
Jesus
took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by
themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became
dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. Then Elijah
appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. Then
Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make
three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He hardly knew
what to say, they were so terrified. Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over
them; from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”
Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them.
As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant.
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: I believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with 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. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I 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: 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
me O Lord, from my 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: May this sacrifice, O Lord, we pray, cleanse us of our faults and sanctify your faithful in body and mind for the celebration of the paschal festivities. Through Christ our Lord.
Eucharistic Prayer: (Number Two: 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, through Christ our
Lord.
For after he had told the of his coming Death, on the holy mountain he manifested to them his glory, to show, even by the testimony of the law and the prophets, that the Passion leads to the glory of the Resurrection.
And so, with the Powers of heaven, we worship you constantly on earth, and before your majesty without end we 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: 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: At the time he was betrayed and entered willingly into his Passion, he took bread and, giving thanks, broke it, 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 the chalice and, once more giving
thanks, he gave it 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: The
mystery of faith.
Priest
/ All: We
proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.
Memorial Prayer: (The priest may select from several forms).
Priest:
Recalls Christ's Passion, Resurrection, Ascension, the Church,
the dead, and ourselves.
Therefore, O Lord, as we celebrate the memorial of his Death and
Resurrection, we offer you, Lord, the Bread of life and the Chalice of
salvation, giving thanks that you have held us worthy to be in your presence and
minister to you. Humbly we pray that, partaking of the Body and Blood of
Christ, we may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit.
Remember, your Church, spread throughout the world, and bring her to the fullness of charity, together with _____ our Pope, and _____ our Bishop, and all the clergy. Remember also our brothers and sisters who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection, and all who have died in your mercy: welcome them into the light of your face.
Have mercy
on us all, we pray, that with the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with
Blessed Joseph, her spouse, with the
blessed Apostles, and all the Saints who have pleased you throughout the ages,
we may merit to be coheirs to eternal life, and may praise and glorify you
through your Son, Jesus Christ.
Doxology
Prayer of Praise:
Through
him, with him, and in him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy
Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, 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 forever.
Prayer for Peace:
Priest: Lord Jesus Christ, who 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: 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.
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, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed
are those called to the supper of the Lamb.
Priest and All: Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the world and my soul 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:
Mt 17:5
Priest: This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased;
listen to him.
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: What has passed our lips as food, O Lord, may we possess in purity of heart, that what has been given to us in time may be our healing for eternity.
Prayer after Communion:
Priest: Let us pray.
Priest: As we receive these glorious mysteries, we make
thanksgiving to you, O Lord, for allowing us while still on earth to be
partakers even now of the things of heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
Concluding Rite
Greeting:
Priest: The Lord be with you.
All: And
with your spirit.
Priest: Bow
down for the blessing.
Prayer Over the People:
Priest: Bless your faithful, we pray, O Lord, with a blessing that
endures for ever, and keep them faithful to the Gospel of your Only Begotten
Son, so that they may always desire and at last attain that glory whose beauty
he showed in his own Body, to the amazement of his Apostles., Through
Christ our Lord.
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.
All: Amen.
Dismissal:
Priest: Go in peace, glorying the Lord by your life.
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.