The
Solemnity of the Assumption
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
August
15, 2025 Cycle C
Mass during the Day
White priestly vestments symbolize purity and integrity of the
life of Faith.
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Liturgical Year Cycle C 2024-2025
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
Revelation 12:1 A great
sign appeared in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the
moon beneath her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
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
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the
communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
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:
As we
prepare to celebrate the mystery of Christ's love, let us
acknowledge our failures and ask the Lord for pardon and
strength.
Priest and All: I confess to almighty God, and to
you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in my
thoughts and in my words, in what I have done, and in what I
have failed to do, through my fault, through my fault, through
my most grievous fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary, ever
virgin, all the angels and saints, and you, my brothers and
sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.
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.
We continue to give thanks for
Jesus Christ, who came at Christmas as both God and man, taking
on human nature while remaining the Son of Man.
Priest
and All: Glory
to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship
you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of
God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us; you
are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our
prayer. 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: Almighty ever-living God, who assumed
the Immaculate Virgin Mary, the Mother of your Son, body and
soul into heavenly glory, grant, we pray, that, always attentive
to the things that are above, we may merit to be sharers of her
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 Revelation
First Reading: Revelation 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab
God's
temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could
be seen in the temple. A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman
clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her
head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child and wailed
aloud in pain as she labored to give birth. Then another
sign appeared in the sky; it was a huge red dragon, with seven
heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems.
Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled
them down to the earth. Then
the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to devour
her child when she gave birth. She gave birth to a son, a
male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron
rod. Her child was caught up to God and his throne.
The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place
prepared by God.
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have
salvation and power come, and the Kingdom of our God and the
authority of his Anointed One."
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 45:10, 11, 12, 16
Cantor: The queen
stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.
All: R/. The queen stands at your right
hand, arrayed in gold.
Cantor: The queen takes her place at your
right hand in gold of Ophir.
All: R/. The queen stands at your right
hand, arrayed in gold.
Cantor: Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your
ear, forget your people and your father's house.
All: R/. The queen stands at your right
hand, arrayed in gold.
Cantor: So shall the king desire your beauty;
for he is your lord.
All: R/. The queen stands at your right
hand, arrayed in gold.
Cantor: They are borne in with gladness and
joy; they enter the palace of the king.
All: R/. The queen stands at your right
hand, arrayed in gold.
The Second Reading: Taken
from the New Testament.
Priest/Reader: A Reading
from the second letter of Saint Paul to the
Corinthians.
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:20-27
Brothers
and sisters: Christ has been raised from the dead, the first
fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death
came through man, the resurrection of the dead came also through
man. For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall
all be brought to life, but each one in proper order: Christ the
first fruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ;
then comes the end, when he hands over the Kingdom to his God
and Father, when he has destroyed every sovereignty and every
authority and power. For he must reign until he has put
all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be
destroyed is death, for "he subjected everything under his
feet."
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.
Cantor: Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia!
ALL: R/. Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia!
Cantor: Mary is taken up to heaven; a
chorus of angels exults.
ALL: R/. 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 Luke.
All: Glory to
you, Lord.
Luke
writes to explain that
Christ
came to save everyone.
“My soul
proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God
my Savior for he has looked upon his lowly servant. From
this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty
has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He
has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He
has shown the strength of his arm and has scattered the proud
in their conceit.
He has cast down the might from their thrones and has lifted
up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the
help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise
of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and
his children forever.” Mary remained with her about
three months and then returned to her home.
Priest: 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:
May
this oblation, our tribute of homage, rise up to you, O Lord,
and, through the intercession of the most Blessed Virgin Mary,
whom you assumed into heaven, may our hearts aflame with the
fire of love, constantly long for you. Through Christ our
Lord.
Eucharistic
Prayer: (Number
One: 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 to give him thanks and praise.
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 today the Virgin
Mother of God was assumed into heaven as the beginning and image
of your Church's coming to perfection and a sign of sure hope
and comfort to your pilgrim people; rightly you would not allow
her to see the corruption of the tomb since from her own body
she marvelously brought forth your incarnate Son, the Author of
all life.
And so, in
company with the choirs of Angels, we praise you, and with joy
we proclaim:
Acclamation:
Priest
and All: Holy,
Holy, Holy Lord, God of power and might, 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.
Remember,
Lord, your servants _____ and _____, and all gathered here,
whose faith and devotion are known to you. For them, we
offer you this sacrifice of praise or they offer it for
themselves and all who are dear to them: for the redemption of
their souls, in hope of health and well-being, and paying their
homage to you, the eternal God, living and true.
In
communion with those whose memory we venerate, especially the
glorious ever-Virgin Mary, Mother of our God and Lord, Jesus
Christ, and blessed Joseph, her Spouse, your blessed Apostles
and Martyrs, Peter and Paul, Andrew, James, John, Thomas, James,
Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Simon and Jude; Linus, Cletus,
Clement, Sixtus, Cornelius, Cyprian, Lawrence, Chrysogonus, John
and Paul, Cosmas and Damian and all your Saints; we ask that
through their merits and prayers, in all things we may be
defended by your protecting help. Through Christ our
Lord. Amen.
Priest: Be
pleased, O God, we pray, to bless, acknowledge, and approve this
offering in every respect; make it spiritual and acceptable, so
that it may become for us the Body and Blood of your most
beloved Son, 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's Supper: On the
day before he was to suffer, he took bread in his holy
and venerable hands, and with eyes raised to heaven to you, his
almighty Father, giving you thanks, he said the blessing, broke
the bread 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 this precious
chalice in his holy and venerable hands, and once more giving
you thanks, he said the blessing 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.
The Mystery of Faith:
Priest: Let us
proclaim the mystery of faith:
Priest and All: When we
eat this bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O
Lord, until you come again.
Memorial Prayer:
Priest:
Therefore,
O Lord, as we celebrate the memorial of the blessed Passion, the
Resurrection from the dead, and the glorious Ascension into
heaven of Christ, your Son, our Lord, we, your servants and your
holy people, offer to your glorious majesty from the gifts that
you have given us, this pure victim, this holy victim, this
spotless victim, the holy Bread of eternal life and the Chalice
of everlasting salvation.
Be pleased
to look upon these offerings with a serene and kindly
countenance, and to accept them, as once you were pleased to
accept the gifts of your servant Abel the just, the sacrifice of
Abraham, our father in faith, and the offering of your high
priest Melchizedek, a holy sacrifice, a spotless victim.
In humble
prayer we ask you, almighty God: command that these gifts be
borne by the hands of your holy Angel to your altar on high in
the sight of your divine majesty, so that all of us, who through
this participation at the altar receive the most holy Body and
Blood of your Son, may be filled with every grace and heavenly
blessing. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Remember
also, Lord, your servants _____ and _____, who have gone before
us with the sign of faith and rest in the sleep of peace.
Grant them, O Lord, we pray, and all who sleep in Christ, a
place of refreshment, light and peace. Through Christ our
Lord. Amen.
To us,
also, your servants, who, though sinners, hope in your abundant
mercies, graciously grant some share and fellowship with your
holy Apostles and martyrs: with John the Baptist, Stephen,
Matthias, Barnabas, (Ignatius, Alexander, Marcellinus, Peter,
Felicity, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucy, Agnes, Cecilia, Anastasia) and
all your Saints; admit us, we beseech you, into their company
not weighing our merits, but granting us your pardon, through
Christ our Lord.
Through
whom you continue to make all these good things, O Lord; you
sanctify them, 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 we 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, you said to your apostles: I leave you peace, 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 sing 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:
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 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:
Priest:
All
generations will call me blessed, for he who is mighty has done
great things for me.
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: Lord,
may I receive these gifts in purity of heart. May they
bring me healing and strength, now and forever.
Prayer
after Communion:
Priest: Let us
pray.
Priest:
Having
received the Sacrament of salvation, we ask you to grant, O
Lord, that, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
whom you assumed into heaven, we may be brought to the glory of
the resurrection. Through Christ our Lord.
All:
Amen.
Concluding
Rite
Priest: The
Lord be with you.
All: And with
your spirit.
Priest:
Bow
your heads and pray for God's blessing.
Dismissal
Prayer:
Priest:
For God,
who through the childbearing of the Blessed Virgin Mary willed
in his great kindness to redeem the human race, be pleased to
enrich you with his blessing.
All: Amen.
Priest: May you know always and everywhere the
protection of her, through whom you have been found worth to
receive the author of life.
All: Amen.
Priest: May you, who have devoutly gathered on
this, carry away with you the gifts of spiritual joys and
heavenly rewards.
All: Amen.
Final
Blessing:
Priest:
And may the
blessings of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy
Spirit, come down on you and remain with you forever.
All: Amen.
Dismissal:
Priest /
Deacon: Go
forth, the Mass is ended.
All:
Thanks
be to God.
