Palm Sunday of the
Passion of the Lord April 13, 2025 Cycle C
Red priestly vestments symbolize a life of sacrifice and
Christ's preparation
to accomplish His Paschal Mystery.
Commemoration of
the Lord’s Entrance into
Jerusalem
The Procession
Entrance Song
Matthew 21:9 Hosanna to the Son of David, blessed is he who comes in the
name of the
Lord, the King of Israel. Hosanna in the highest.
Priest: Dear brethren, since the beginning of Lent until now we
have prepared our
hearts by penance and charitable works. Today we gather
together to
herald with the whole Church the beginning of the celebration of
our Lord's
Paschal Mystery, that is to say, of his Passion and
Resurrection. For it
was to accomplish this mystery that he entered his own city of
Jerusalem.
Therefore, with all faith and devotion, let us commemorate the
Lord's entry
into the city for our salvation, following in his footsteps, so
that, being
made by his grace partakers of the Cross, we may have a share
also in his
Resurrection and in his life.
Priest: Let us pray. Almighty ever-living God, sanctify these
branches with
your blessing, that we, who follow Christ the King in
exultation, may reach the
eternal Jerusalem through him. Who lives and reigns for
ever and ever. All: Amen.
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.
Gospel Luke 19:28-40
Written to explain that Christ came to save everyone.
Jesus proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem. As
he drew near to
Bethphage and Bethany at the place called the Mount of Olives,
he sent two of
his disciples. He said, “Go into the village opposite
you, and as you
enter it you will find a colt tethered on which no one has
ever sat.
Untie it and bring it here. And if anyone should ask
you, ‘Why are you
untying it?’ you will answer, ‘The Master has need of
it.’” So those who
had been sent went off and found everything just as he had
told them. And
as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why
are you untying
this colt?” They answered, “The Master has need of
it.” So they
brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks over the colt, and
helped Jesus to
mount. As he rode along, the people were spreading their
cloaks on the
road; and now as he was approaching the slope of the Mount of
Olives, the whole
multitude of his disciples began to praise God aloud with joy
for all the
mighty deeds they had seen. They proclaimed: “Blessed is
the king who comes
in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in
the highest.”
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher,
rebuke your
disciples.” He said in reply, “I tell you, if they keep
silent, the
stones will cry out!”
Priest: Dear brethren, like the crowds who
acclaimed Jesus in
Jerusalem, let us go forth in peace.
All: In the name of Christ. Amen.
Antiphon 1
All: The children of the Hebrews, carrying olive branches, went
to meet the
Lord, crying out and saying: Hosanna in the highest.
Priest/Choir Psalm 24 The Lord's is the earth and its fullness, the world, and
those who dwell
in it. It is he who set it on the seas; on the rivers he
made it firm. All:The Children of the Hebrews, carrying
olive branches,
went to meet the Lord, crying out and saying: Hosanna in the
highest.
Priest/Choir: Who shall climb the mountain of the
Lord? The
clean of hands and pure of heart, whose soul is not set on vain
things, who has
not sworn deceitful words. All:The Children of the Hebrews, carrying
olive branches,
went to meet the Lord, crying out and saying: Hosanna in the
highest.
Priest/Choir: Blessings from the Lord shall he
receive, and right
reward from the God who saves him. Such are the people who
seek him, who
seek the face of the God of Jacob. All:The Children of the Hebrews, carrying
olive branches,
went to meet the Lord, crying out and saying: Hosanna in the
highest.
Priest/Choir: O gates, lift high your
heads; grow
higher, ancient doors. Let him enter, the king of
glory! Who is
this king of glory? The Lord, the mighty, the valiant; the
Lord, the
valiant in war. All:The Children of the Hebrews, carrying
olive branches,
went to meet the Lord, crying out and saying: Hosanna in the
highest.
Priest/Choir: O gates, lift high your heads; grow
higher, ancient
doors. Let him enter, the king of glory! Who is this
king of
glory? He, the Lord of hosts, he is the king of glory. All:The Children of the Hebrews,
carrying olive
branches, went to meet the Lord, crying out and saying: Hosanna
in the highest.
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: Almighty ever-living God, who as an
example of
humility for the human race to follow caused our Savior to take
flesh and
submit to the Cross, graciously grant that we may heed his
lesson of patient
suffering and so merit a share in his resurrection. 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 Book of
Isaiah.
Isaiah 50:4-7
The Lord God has given me a well-trained tongue, that I
might know how to
speak to the weary a word that will rouse them. Morning
after morning he
opens my ear that I may hear; and I have not rebelled, have not
turned
back. I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to
those who plucked
my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and
spitting. The Lord
God is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face
like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
Responsorial Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24
Cantor: My God, my God, why have you abandoned
me? All: R/. My God, my God, why have
you abandoned
me? Cantor: All who see me scoff at me; they mock
me with parted
lips, they wag their heads: “He relied on the Lord; let him
deliver him, let
him rescue him, if he loves him.” All: R/. My God, my God, why have
you abandoned
me? Cantor: Indeed, many dogs surround me, a pack
of evildoers
closes in upon me; they have pierced my hands and my feet; I can
count all my
bones. All: R/. My God, my God, why have
you abandoned
me? Cantor: They divide my garments among them,
and for my
vesture they cast lots. But you, O Lord, be not far from
me; O my help,
hasten to aid me. All: R/. My God, my God, why have
you abandoned
me? Cantor: I will proclaim your name to my
brethren; in the
midst of the assembly I will praise you: “You who fear the Lord,
praise him;
all you descendants of Jacob, give glory to him; revere him, all
you
descendants of Israel!”
All: R/. My God, my God, why have
you abandoned me?
The Second Reading:Taken from the New Testament, often from a letter
written by St.
Paul.
Philippians 2:6-11
Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not
regard equality
with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied
himself, taking the
form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in
appearance, he
humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even
death on a
cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and
bestowed on him the
name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every
knee should
bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and
every tongue
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father.
Priest/Reader:The word of the Lord. All:Thanks be to God.
The Verse before the Gospel:An
ancient expression
of joy anticipating the Lord's message we will hear in the
Gospel. St. Paul to the Philippians 2:8-9
Cantor: Praise to you, Lord
Jesus Christ, King
of endless glory.
ALL: R/. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ,
King of endless
glory.
Cantor: Christ became obedient to the
point of death,
even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly
exalted him and
bestowed on him the name which is above every name. 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.
NARRATIVE OF OUR LORD’S PASSION –
LUKE 22:14 – 23:56
JC = Christ, N = Narrator, V = A Person, C = The Crowd
N: The
Passion of our Lord Jesus
Christ according to Luke.
When the hour came, Jesus took his place at table with the
apostles.He said
to them, JC:“I have
eagerly desired to
eat this Passover with you before I suffer for, I tell you, I
shall not eat it
again until there is fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” N:Then he took a
cup, gave thanks, and said, JC:“Take
this and share
it among yourselves; for I tell you that from his time on I
shall not drink of
the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” N:Then
he took the bread, and said the blessing, broke it, and gave it
to them,
saying, JC: “This is
my body, which will be
given for you; do this in memory of me.” N:And
likewise the cup
after they had eaten, saying, JC: “This
cup is the new covenant
in my blood, which will be shed for you. JC: “And
yet behold, the
hand of the one who is to betray me is with me on the table; for
the Son of Man
indeed goes as it has been determined; but woe to that man by
whom he is betrayed.” N:And they
began to debate among
themselves who among them would do such a deed.Then an argument broke out among them about which of them
should be
regarded as the greatest.He
said to
them, JC: “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them and
those in authority
over them are addressed as “Benefactors’; but among you it shall
not be so.Rather,
let the greatest among you be as the
youngest, and the leader as the servant.For who is greater: the one seated at table or the one
who serves?Is it
not the one seated at table?I am among you as the one who serves.It is you who have
stood by me in my trials;
and I confer a kingdom on you, just as my Father has conferred
one on me, that
you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom; and you will
sit on thrones
judging the twelve tribes of Israel. JC: “Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded to sift all
of you like wheat,
but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail; and once you
have turned back
, you must strengthen your brothers.” N:Peter
said to Jesus. V:“Lord, I
am prepared to go to
prison and to die with you.” N:But Jesus
replied, JC:“I tell
you, Peter, before
the cock crows this day, you will deny ne three times that you
know me.” N:He
said to them, JC:When
I sent you forth
without a money bag or a sack or sandals, were you in need of
anything?” C:“No,
nothing,” N:They
replied.He said to
them, JC: “But now one who has a money bag should take it, and
likewise a
sack, and one who does not have a sword should sell his cloak
and buy one.For I
tell you that this Scripture must be
fulfilled in me, namely, He was countedamong the
wicked; and
indeed, what is written about me is coming to fulfillment.” N:Then they
said, C:“Lord, look, there
are two swords here.” N:But
he replied, JC:“It is
enough!” N:Then
going out, he
went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the
disciples followed
him.When he
arrived at the place he said
to them, JC: “Pray
that you may not
undergo the test.” N:After
withdrawing about a
stone’s throw from them and kneeling, he prayed, saying: JC: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from
me; still, not
my will but yours be done.” N:And to
strengthen him an angel from heaven appeared to him.He was in such agony
and he prayed so fervently
that his sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground.When he rose from
prayer and returned to his
disciples, he found herm sleeping from grief.He said to them, JC: “Why are you sleeping?Get up
and pray that you may not undergo the test.” N:While he
was still speaking, a
crowd approached and in front was one of the Twelve, a man named
Judas.He went up
to Jesus to kiss him.Jesus
said to him. JC: “Judas, are you betraying
the Son of Man
with a kiss?” N:His
disciples realized what
was about to happen, and they asked, C:“Lord,
shall strike with a
sword?” N:And of
them struck the high
priest’s servant and cut off his right ear.But Jesus said in reply. JC: “Stop, no more this!” N:Then
he touched the servant’s ear and healed him.And Jesus said to the chief priests and temple guards and
elders who had
come for him. JC: “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords
and clubs? Day
after day I was with you in the temple area, and you did not
seize me; but this
is your hour, the time for the power of darkness.” N:After
arresting him they led him away and took him into the house of
the high
priests; Peter was following at a distance.They lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat
around it, and
Peter sat down with them.When
a maid saw
him seated in the light, she looked intently at him and said, V:This man
too was with him.” N:Buthe
denied it saying, V: “Woman, I
do not know him.” N:A short
while later someone
else saw him and said, V:“You too
are one of them”; N:but Peter
answered, V:My
friend, I am not.” N:About an
hour later, still
another insisted, V:“Assuredly,
this man too was
with him, for he also is a Galilean.” N:But Peter
said, V:“My
friend, I do not know what
you are talking about. N:Just as
he was saying this,
the cock crowed, and the Lord turned and looked at Peter; and
Peter remembered
the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the cock
crows today, you
will deny me three times.” N:He went
out and began to weep
bitterly.The men
who held Jesus in
custody were ridiculing and beating him.They blindfolded him and questioned him, saying, C: “Prophesy!Who
is it that
struck you?” N:And they
reviled him in saying
many other thins against him. N:When day
came the council of
elders of the people met, both chief priests and scribes, and
they brought him
before their Sanhedrin.They
said, C: “If you are the Christ, tell us,” N:but
he replied to them, JC: “If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I
question, you will
not respond.But
from this time on the Son
of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” N:They all
asked, C: “Are you then then the Son of God?” N: He
replied to them, JC: “You say that I am.” N: Then they said, C: “What further need have we for testimony?We have heard it from
his own mouth.” N:Then the
whole assembly of
them, (The elders of the people, chief priests and scribes,)
arose and brought
him before Pilate.They
brought charges
against him saying, C: “We found this man misleading our people; he opposes
the payment of
taxes to Caesar and maintains that he is the Christ, a king.” N: Pilate
asked him, V: “Are you king of the Jews?” N:He said
to him in reply, JC: “You say so.” N:Pilate
then addressed the
chief priests and the crowds, V: “I find this man not guilty.” N:But they
were adamant and
said, C: “He is inciting the people with his teaching
throughout all Judea,
from Galilee where he began to here.” N: On hearing this Pilate asked if the man was a
Galilean; and upon
learning that he was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to
Herod who was
in Jerusalem at that time.Harod was
very glad to see Jesus; he had been wanting to see him for a
long time, for he
had heard about him and had been hoping to see him perform some
sign.He questioned
him at length, but he gave him
no answer.The
chief priests and
scribes, meanwhile, stood by accusing him harshly.Herold and his
soldiers treated him
contemptuously and mocked him, and after clothing him in
resplendent garb, he
sent him back to Pilate.Herod
and
Pilate became friends that very day, even though they had been
enemies
formerly. N: Pilate then summoned the chief priests, the rulers,
and the people
and said to them, V: “You brought this man to me and accused him of
inciting the
people to
revolt.I have
conducted my
investigation in your presence and have not found this man
guilty of the
charges you have brought against him, nor did Herod, for he sent
him back to
us.So, no capital
crime has been
committed by him.Therefore,
I shall
have him flogged and then release him.” N:But all together they shouted out. C:“Away with this man!Release Barabbas to us.” N:Now Barabbas had been imprisoned for a
rebellion that had
taken place in the city and for murder.Again, Pilate addressed them, still wishing to release
Jesus, but they
continued their shouting, C: “Crucify him Crucify him!” N:Pilate addressed them a third time, V:“What evil has this man done?I found him guilty of no capital crime.Therefore, I shall have him flogged and then release
him.” N:With loud shouts, however, they persisted in
calling for his
crucifixion, and their voices prevailed.The verdict of Pilate was that their demand should be
granted.So, he
released the man who had been
imprisoned for rebellion and murder. For whom they asked, and he
handed Jesus
over to them to deal with as they wished. N: As they led him away, they took hold of a certain
Simon, a Cyrenian,
who was coming in from the country; and after laying the cross
on him, they
made him carry it behind Jesus.A large
crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned
and lamented
him. N: Jesus turned to them and said. JC:“Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me;
weep instead for
yourselves and your children for indeed, the days are coming
when people will
say, ‘Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore and the
breasts that
never nursed.’At
that time people will
say to the mountains, “Fall upon us!And to the hills, ‘Cover us!’for if these things
are done when the wood is
green what will happen when it is dry?” N: Now two others, both criminals, were led away with him
to be
executed.When they
came to the place
called the Skull, they crucified him and the criminals there,
one on his right,
the other on his left.Then
Jesus said, JC: “Father, forgive them they know not what they do.” N: They divided his garments by casting lots.The people stood by
and watched; the rulers,
meanwhile, sneered at him and said, C: “He saved others, let him save himself if he is the
chosen one, the Christ
of God.” N: Even the soldiers jeered at him.As they approached to offer him wine they called out, C: “If you are King of the Jews, save yourself.” N: Above him there was an inscription that read, “This is
the King of
the Jews. N: Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus,
saying, V: “Are you not the Christ?Save
yourself and us.” N: The other, however, rebuking him said in reply, V: Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the
same
condemnation?And
indeed, we have condemned
justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes,
but this man
has done nothing criminal.” N: Then he said, V: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” N: He replied to him, JC: “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in
Paradise.” N: It was now about noon and darkness came over the whole
land until
three in the afternoon because of an eclipse of the sun.Then the veil of the
temple was torn down the
middle.Jesus cried
out in a loud voice, JC: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”; N: and when he had said this he breathed his last. Here all kneel and pause for a short time.
N: The centurion who witnessed what had happened glorified
God and said,
V: “This man was innocent beyond doubt.” N: When all the people who had gathered for this
spectacle saw what had
happened, they returned home beating their breasts; but all his
acquaintances
stood at a distance, including the women who had followed him
from Galilee and
saw these events. N: Now there was a virtuous and righteous man named
Joseph who, though
he was a member of the council, had not consented to their plan
of action.He came
from the Jewish town of Arimathea and
was awaiting the kingdom of God.He went
to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.After he had taken the body down, he wrapped it in a
linen cloth and
laid him in a rock-hewn tomb in which no one had yet been
buried.It was the
day of preparation, and the
sabbath was about to begin.The women
who had come from Galilee with him followed behind, and when
they had seen the
tomb and the way in which his body was laid in it, they returned
and prepared
spices and perfumed oils.Then
they
rested on the sabbath according to the commandment.
Priest:The Gospel of the Lord. All:Praise
to you, Lord
Jesus Christ. Priest: Through the words of the Gospel may
our sins be
wiped away.
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.
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: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 m
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: Through the Passion of your Only Begotten
Son, O Lord,
may our reconciliation with you be near at hand, so that, though
we do not
merit it by our own deeds, yet by this sacrifice made once for
all, we may feel
already the effects of your mercy. 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 and
just.
Preface Prayer:
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, though innocent, he suffered
willingly for
sinners and accepted unjust condemnation to save the
guilty. His Death
has washed away our sins, and his Resurrection has purchased our
justification. And so, with all the Angels, we praise you,
as in joyful
celebration we 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: 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 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'sSupper: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:Save us,
Savior of
the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us
free.
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: 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: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:
Matthew 26:42 Father,
if this
chalice cannot pass without my drinking it, your will be done.
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:Nourished with these sacred gifts, we
humbly beseech
you, O Lord, that, just as through the death of your Son you
have brought us to
hope for what we believe, so by his Resurrection you may lead us
to where you
call. Through Christ our Lord.
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: Look, we pray, O Lord, on this your family, for whom our
Lord Jesus Christ
did not hesitate to be delivered into the hands of the wicked
and submit to the
agony of the Cross. Who lives and reigns for ever and
ever. 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.
Priest: Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.
All:Thanks be to God. O my Jesus, forgive us our sins.
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.
