Second Sunday of Easter
Divine Mercy Sunday
April 27, 2014 Cycle A
White priestly vestments symbolize purity and integrity of the
life of faith.
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Liturgical
Year Cycle A 13-14
Introductory Acts Of Worship
Jesus, I trust in you!
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.
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: Let us pray.
Priest: God 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 2:42-27
They devoted themselves to the
teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of bread and
to the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done
through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in
common; they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all
according to each one’s need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting
together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They ate
their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying
favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those
who were being saved.
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 118:1; 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: 1 Peter 1:3-9
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that it imperishable,
undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you who by the power of God are
safeguarded through faith, to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the
final time. In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have
to suffer through various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more
precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to
be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Although you
have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now yet believe
in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joo, as you attain the
goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
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 Four: 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.
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.
Priest: We give you praise, Father most holy, for you are
great and you have fashioned all your works in wisdom and in love. You
formed man in your own image and entrusted the whole world to his care, so that
in serving you alone, the Creator, he might have dominion over all creatures.
And when through disobedience he had lost your friendship, you did not abandon
him to the domain of death. For you came in mercy to the aid of all, so
that those who seek might find you. Time and again you offered them
covenants and through the prophets taught them to look forward to salvation.
And you so loved the
world, Father most holy, that in the fullness of time you sent your Only
Begotten Son to be our Savior. Made incarnate by the Holy Spirit and born
of the virgin Mary, he shared our human nature in all things but sin. To
the poor he proclaimed the good news of salvation, to prisoners, freedom, and to
the sorrowful of heart, joy. To accomplish your plan, he gave himself up
to death, and, rising from the dead, he destroyed death and restored life.
And that we might live no
longer for ourselves but for him who died and rose again for us, he sent the
Holy Spirit from you, Father, as the first fruits for those who believe, so
that, bringing to perfection his work in the world, he might sanctify creation
to the full.
Priest: Therefore, O Lord, we pray: may this same Holy Spirit
graciously sanctify these offerings, that they may become the Body and Blood of
our Lord Jesus Christ for the celebration of this great mystery, which he
himself left us as an eternal covenant.
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:
For when the hour had come for him
to be glorified by you, Father most holy, having loved his own who were in the
world, he loved them to the end: and while they were at supper, he took bread,
blessed and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take this, all of
you and eat of it: this is my Body which will be given up for you.
In a similar way, taking the chalice filled with the fruit of the vine, he
gave thanks, 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.
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 our redemption, we
remember Christ's Death and his descent to the realm of the dead, we proclaim
his resurrection and his Ascension to your right hand, and, as we await his
coming in glory, we offer you his Body and Blood, the sacrifice acceptable to
you which brings salvation to the whole world.
Look, O Lord, upon the Sacrifice which you
yourself have provided for your Church, and grant in your loving kindness to all
who partake of this one Bread and one Chalice that, gathered into one body by
the Holy Spirit, they may truly become a living sacrifice in Christ to the
praise of your glory.
Therefore, Lord, remember now all for whom we
offer this sacrifice: especially your servant _____ our Pope, _____ our Bishop,
and the whole Order of Bishops, all the clergy, those who take part in this
offering, those gathered here before you, your entire people, and all who seek
you with a sincere heart. Remember also those who have died in the peace
of your Christ and all the dead, whose faith you alone have known.
To all of us, your children, grant, O
merciful Father, that we may enter into a heavenly inheritance with the Blessed
Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with blessed Joseph, her Spouse, and with your
Apostles and Saints in your kingdom. There, with the whole of creation,
freed from the corruption of sin and death, may we glorify you through Christ
our Lord, through whom you
bestow
on the world all that is good.
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: 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.
All: Amen.
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 word 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
Jn 20:27
Bring your hand and feel the place of the
nails, and do not be unbelieving but believing, alleluia.
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.
All: Amen.
Concluding Rite
Priest: The Lord be with you.
All: And
with your spirit.
Priest: Bow
down for the blessing.
Dismissal Prayer: (The priest may select
from several forms)
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 fait, by living in a right manner on this earth, be united with him in
the homeland of heaven.
All: Amen.
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.
Priest: Go forth, the Mass in 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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