Introductory Rite:
God, come to my assistance R/ Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
R/ as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Led by the Spirit of our God,
We go to fast and pray
With Christ into the wilderness;
We join his paschal way.
“Rend not your garments, rend your hearts.
Turn back your lives to me.”
Thus says our kind and gracious God,
Whose reign is liberty.
Led by the Spirit, we confront
Temptation face to face,
And know full well we must rely
On God’s redeeming grace.
On bread alone we cannot live,
But nourished b
y the Word
We seek the will of God to do:
This is our drink and food.
Antiphon 1 O Lord, in your light we see light itself.
Psalm 36
Sin speaks to the sinner
in the depths of his heart.
There is no fear of God
before his eyes.
He so flatters himself in his mind
that he knows not his guilt.
In his mouth are mischief and deceit.
All wisdom is gone.
He plots the defeat of goodness
as he lies on his bed.
He has set his foot on evil ways,
he clings to what is evil.
Your love, Lord, reaches to heaven;
your truth to the skies.
Your justice is like God’s mountain,
your judgments like the deep.
To both man and beast you give protection.
O Lord, how precious is your love.
My God, the sons of men
find refuge in the shelter of your wings.
They feast on the riches of your house;
they drink from the stream of your delight.
In you is the source of life
and in your light we see light.
Keep on loving those who know you,
doing justice for upright hearts.
Let the foot of the proud not crush me
nor the hand of the wicked cast me out.
See how the evildoers fall!
Flung down, they shall never arise. Glory…
Psalm Prayer: Lord, you are the source of unfailing light. Give us true knowledge of your mercy so that we may renounce our pride and be filled with the riches of your house.
Antiphon 1 O Lord, in your light we see light itself.
Antiphon 2 O God, you are great and glorious; we marvel at your power.
Judith 16:1,13-15
Strike up the instruments,
a song to my God with timbrels,
chant to the Lord with cymbals;
Sing to him a new song,
exalt and acclaim his name.
A new hymn I will sing to my God.
O Lord, great are you and glorious,
wonderful in power and unsurpassable.
Let your every creature serve you;
for you spoke, and they were made,
You sent forth your spirit, and they were created;
no one can resist your word.
The mountains to their bases, and the seas, are shaken;
the rocks, like wax, melt before your glance.
But to those who fear you,
you are very merciful. Glory…
Antiphon 2 O God, you are great and glorious; we marvel at your power.
Antiphon 3 Exult in God’s presence with hymns of praise.
Psalm 47
All peoples, clap your hands,
cry to God with shouts of joy!
For the Lord, the Most High, we must fear,
great king over all the earth.
He subdues peoples under us
and nations under our feet.
Our inheritance, our glory, is from him,
given to Jacob out of love.
God goes up with shouts of joy;
the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
Sing praise for God, sing praise,
sing praise to our king, sing praise.
God is king of all the earth,
sing praise with all your skill.
God is king over the nations;
God reigns on his holy throne.
The princes of the people are assembled
with the people of Abraham’s God.
The rulers of the earth belong to God,
to God who reigns over all.
Psalm Prayer: God, King of all peoples and all ages, it is your victory we celebrate as we sing with all the skill at our command. Help us always to overcome evil by good, that we may rejoice in your triumph for ever.
Antiphon 3 Exult in God’s presence with hymns of praise.
Opening Prayer (please stand)
All sit for the Liturgy of the Word.
After the Homily:
INTERCESSIONS (Universal Prayer)
Blessed be God, the giver of salvation, who decreed that mankind should become a new creation in himself, when all would be made new. With great confidence let us ask him:
Lord, renew us in your Spirit.
Lord, you promised a new heaven and a new earth; renew us daily through your Spirit, – that we may enjoy your presence for ever in the heavenly Jerusalem.Help us to work with you to make this world alive with your Spirit, – and to build on earth a city of justice, love and peace.Free us from all negligence and sloth, – and give us joy in your gifts of grace.Deliver us from evil, – and from slavery to the senses, which blinds us to goodness
Presider:
Father of mercy,
hear the prayers of your repentant children
who call on you in love.
Enlighten our minds and sanctify our hearts.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit
God, for ever and ever.
(All are seated for the Liturgy of the Eucharist)
Lord’s Prayer
Pater noster, qui es in cælis Sanctificétur nomen tuumAdvéniat regnum tuum Fiat volúntas tuaSicut in cælo et in terraPanem nostrum quotidiánum da nobis hódie Et dimítte nobis débita nostraSicut et nos dimíttimus debitóribus nostris Et ne nos indúcas in tentatiónemSed libera nos a malo.
After Holy Communion, all stand for the Benedictus.
BENEDICTUS/Canticle of Zachariah Benedictus – Luke 1: 68-79
Antiphon: If you are faithful to my teaching, says the Lord, you will indeed be my disciples. You will know the truth and the truth will make you free.
(While making the Sign of the Cross, we pray the following)
Blest be the God of Israel who comes to set us free
and raises up new hope for us: a Branch for David’s tree.
So have the prophets long declared that with a mighty arm
God would turn back our enemies and all who wish us harm
With promised mercy will God still the covenant recall,
the oath once sworn to Abraham from foes to save us all;
that we might worship without fear and offer lives of praise,
in holiness and righteousness to serve God all our days.
My child, as prophet of the Lord you will prepare the way,
to tell God’s people they are saved from sin’s eternal sway.
Then shall God’s mercy from on high shine forth and never cease
to drive away the gloom of death and lead us into peace.
Antiphon: If you are faithful to my teaching, says the Lord, you will indeed be my disciples. You will know the truth and the truth will make you free.
Prayer After Communion
(Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help)
Dismissal & Final Blessing
MOTHER OF CHRIST, MOTHER OF CHRIST WHAT SHALL I ASK OF THEE?
I DO NOT SIGH FOR THE WEALTH OF EARTH FOR THE JOYS THAT FADE AND FLEE, BUT…MOTHER OF CHRIST, MOTHER OF CHRIST THIS DO I LONG TO SEE THE BLISS UNTOLD WHICH YOUR ARMS ENFOLD THE TREASURE UPON YOUR KNEE
MOTHER OF CHRIST, MOTHER OF CHRIST I TOSS ON A STORMY SEA
OH LIFT YOUR CHILD AS A BEACON LIGHT TO THE PORT WHERE I FAIN WOULD BE, AND…MOTHER OF CHRIST, MOTHER OF CHRIST THIS DO I ASK OF THEE WHEN THE VOYAGE IS O’ER
OH STAND ON THE SHORE AND SHOW HIM AT LAST TO ME.