Second Sunday of Easter
Divine Mercy Sunday
April 24, 2022 Cycle C
White priestly vestments symbolize purity and integrity of the
life of faith.
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Liturgical
Year Cycle C 2021-2022
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
1 Peter 2:2
Like newborn children
you should thirst for milk, on which your spirit can grow to strength, 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: The Lord be with
you.
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: You were sent to heal the contrite of heart: Lord, have
mercy.
All: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: You came to call sinners: Christ, have mercy.
All: Christ, have mercy.
Priest: You are seated at the right hand of the Father to intercede
for us: Lord, have mercy.
All: Lord, have mercy.
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: Let us pray.
Priest: God of everlasting mercy, who in the very recurrence of
the paschal feast kindle the faith of the people you have made your own,
increase, we pray, the grace you have bestowed, that all may grasp and rightly
understand in what font they have been washed, by whose Spirit they have been
reborn, by whose Blood they have been redeemed. 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, Acts of the Apostles.
First Reading: Acts 5:12-16
Many signs and wonders
were done among the people at the hands of the apostles. They were all
together in Solomon's portico. None of the others dared to join them, but
the people esteemed them. Yet more than ever, believers in the Lord, great
numbers of men and women, were added to them. Thus they even carried the
sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and mats so that when Peter came
by, at least his shadow might fall on one or another of them. A large
number of people from the towns in the vicinity of Jerusalem also gathered,
bringing the sick and those disturbed by unclean spirits, and they were all
cured.
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 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24
Cantor: Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is
everlasting.
All:
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is
everlasting.
Cantor: Let the house of Israel say, “His mercy endures forever.”
Let the house of Aaron say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let those who fear the
Lord say, “His mercy endures forever.”
All:
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is
everlasting.
Cantor: I was hard pressed and was falling, but the Lord helped
me. My strength and my courage is the Lord, and he has been my savior. The
joyful shout of victory in the tents of the just.
All:
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is
everlasting.
Cantor: The stone which the builders rejected has become the
cornerstone. By the Lord has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes. This
is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.
All:
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is
everlasting.
The Second Reading:
Taken from the New Testament, often from a
letter written by St. Paul.
Second Reading: Revelation 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19
I, John, your brother, who share with you the distress, the kingdom, and the
endurance we have in Jesus, found myself on the island called Patmos because I
proclaimed God's word and gave testimony to Jesus. I was caught up in
spirit on the Lord's day and heard behind me a voice as loud as a trumpet, which
said, "Write on a scroll what you see." Then I turned to see whose voice
it was that spoke to me, and when I turned, I saw seven gold lampstands and in
the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, wearing an ankle-length robe,
with a gold sash around his chest.
When I caught sight of him, I fell down at
his feet as though dead. He touched me with his right hand and said, "Do
not be afraid. I am the first and the last, the one who lives. Once
I was dead, but now I am alive forever and ever. I hold the keys to death
and the netherworld. Write down, therefore, what you have seen, and what
is happening, and what will happen afterwards."
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 20:29
Cantor: Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia!
All:
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Cantor: You believe in me, Thomas, because you have
seen me; happy those who have not seen me, but still believe!
All: 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 John.
All: Glory
to you, Lord.
The Gospel: John 20:19-31
John wrote to show that Christ was
the Messiah, the Divine Son of God.
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the
doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came
and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had
said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when
they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father
has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and
said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven
them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”
Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with
them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the
Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not
believe.”
Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas
was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their
midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger
here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not
be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my
God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
Now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his
disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may
come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this
belief you may have life in his name.
Priest/Deacon: 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 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: Accept,
O Lord, we pray, the oblations of your people, that renewed by confession of
your name and by Baptism, they may attain unending happiness. Through
Christ our 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:
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.
Through him the children
of light rise to eternal life and the halls of the heavenly Kingdom are thrown
open to the faithful; for his Death is our ransom from death, and in his rising
the life of all has risen.
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 hosts. 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.
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.
Priest: You are indeed Holy, O Lord, the fountain of all
holiness. Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your
Spirit upon them like the dewfall, so that they may become for us the Body and
Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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 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.
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, 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:
John 20:27
Bring your hand and feel the place of the nails, and do not be unbelieving
but believing,
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: Grant, we pray, almighty God, that our reception of this
paschal Sacrament may have a continuing effect in our minds and hearts.
Through Christ our Lord.
Concluding Rite
Greeting:
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 my 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 and announce the Gospel of the Lord alleluia, alleluia.
All: Thanks be to God, alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus, I trust in you!
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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Year Cycle C 2021-2022