Second Sunday of Lent
March 8, 2020 Cycle A
Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
 Purple priestly vestments symbolize penance and preparation.

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Liturgical Year Cycle 2019-2020

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: 08-09
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 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:
All:    Christ, have mercy.
Priest:  You are seated sat 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 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:   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.

                                      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 12:1-4a

The Lord said to Abram: "Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your fathers' house to a land that I will show you.  I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.  All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you." 
Abram went as the Lord directed him.

The Responsorial Psalm:  This Psalm praising God, is a prayer to God, or recommends the practice of virtue.  It is sung as an interlude between the scriptural readings.  It provides yet another instructional setting and invites the assembly to imitate the cantor who sings a repeated response to the verses of an ancient Psalm many of which are attributed to King David.  The verses are sung first by a cantor (song leader) accompanied by instruments, the refrain is sung by the people. 

Psalm  33:4-5, 18-19, 20-22

Cantor:   Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
All:   Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Cantor:    Upright is the world of the Lord, and all his works are trustworthy.  He loves justice and right; of the kindness of the Lord the earth is full.
All:  Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Cantor:    See, the eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness, to deliver them from death and preserve them in spite of famine.
All:  Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Cantor:    Our soul waits for the Lord, who is our help and our shield.  May your kindness, O Lord, be upon us who have put our hope in you.
All:  Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

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

Second Reading:   2 Timothy 1:8b-10

Beloved:  Bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God.  He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to his own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began, but now made manifest through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus, who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

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 17:5c

Cantor:    Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.  King of endless glory!
All:   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, hear him.
All:   Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.  King of endless glory!

Priest:   The Lord be with you.
All:    And with your spirit.
Priest/Deacon:   A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew.
All:    Glory to you, Lord.

Matthew wrote to show that Christ was the
Messiah and fulfilled the Jewish prophecies.

Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother, John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.  And he was transfigured before them, his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.  And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him.  Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, "Lord, it is good that we are here.  If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."  while he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." When the disciples heard this they fell prostrate and were very much afraid.  But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and do not be afraid."  And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone.

As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, "Do not tell the vision of anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

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:   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.

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 and just.

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 disciples 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:

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 fount 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.  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: 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.  It will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven.  Do this in memory of me.
                                   
Memorial Acclamation: (The priest may select from several forms). 

Priest:  Let us proclaim the mystery of faith:
Priest and All:   When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim you Death, O Lord, 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.
In memory of His death and resurrection, we offer you, Father, this life-giving bread, this saving cup.  We thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you.  May all of us who share in the body and blood of Christ be brought together in unity by the Holy Spirit.  Lord, remember your Church throughout the world; make us grow in love, together with _____ our Pope, _____ our bishop, and all the clergy.  Remember our brothers and sisters who have gone to their rest in the hope of rising again; bring them and all the departed into the light of your presence. 

Have mercy on us all; make us worthy to share eternal life with Mary, the virgin Mother of God, with Joseph her spouse, with the apostles, and with all the saints who have done your will throughout the ages.  May we praise you in union with them, and give you glory through your Son, Jesus Christ.

Through whom you continue to create all these good things, O Lord; you make them holy, 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:   Let us pray for the coming of the kingdom as Jesus taught us.
Priest and All:   Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be they name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Priest:   Deliver us, Lord, from every evil, and grant us peace in our day.  In your mercy keep us free from sin and protect us from all anxiety as we wait in joyful hope for 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, peace I leave you, my peace I give you, look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church, and graciously grant the peace and unity of your kingdom where you live 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 and All:   Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
                                  Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
                                  Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

Priest:   May this mingling of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ bring eternal life to us who receive it.

Communion of the Priest:

Priestly Preparation:   Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, who, by the will of the Father and the work of the Holy Spirit, through your Death gave life to the world, free me by this, your most holy Body and Blood, from all my sins and from every evil; keep me always faithful to your commandments, and never let me be parted from you.

Priest:   This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.  Happy are those who are called to his supper. 

Priest and All:   Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.

Priest:   May the Body of Christ keep me safe for eternal life.
              May the Blood of Christ keep me safe for eternal life.
 

Communion Antiphon:

Communion Song: Matthew 17:5
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:    The Blood of Christ.   
The Faithful:   Amen.

Cleansing of the Vessels:

Priest:   Lord, may I receive these gifts in purity of heart.  May they bring me healing and strength, now and for ever.

Prayer after Communion:

Priest:   Let us pray.
Priest:   As we receive 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

Priest:   The Lord be with you.
All:    And also with you.
Priest:   Bow your heads and let us pray for God's blessing.

Dismissal Prayer:  (The priest may select from several forms)

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:   May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All:   Amen.

Priest/Deacon:   Go in peace.
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.

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Liturgical Year Cycle 2019-2020