Liturgy of the Word
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 9, 2017 Cycle A
Green priestly vestments symbolize hope and the vitality of
the life of faith.
Home Page
Liturgical
Year Cycle A 2016-2017
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: 48:10-11 Your
merciful love, O God, we have received in the midst of your temple. Your
praise, O God, like your name, reaches the ends of the earth; your right hand is
filled with saving justice.
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:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
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: Have mercy on us, O Lord.
All: For we have sinned against you.
Priest: Show us, O Lord, your mercy.
All: And grant us your salvation.
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 our 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: O God, who in the abasement of your Son have raised up a
fallen world, fill your faithful with holy joy, for on those you have rescued
from slavery to sin you bestow eternal gladness. 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
prophet Zechariah.
First Reading: Zechariah 9:9-10
Thus says the Lord: Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion, shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! See, your king shall come to you; a just savior is he, meek, and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass. He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; the warrior’s bow shall be banished, and he shall proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.
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 145: 1-2, 8-0, 10-11, 13-14
Cantor: I
will praise your name forever, my king and and my God.
All:
I will praise your name forever,
my king and and my God.
Cantor: I will extol you, O my God and King, and I will
bless your name forever and ever. Every day will I bless you, and I will praise
your name forever and ever.
All:
I will praise your name forever,
my king and and my God.
Cantor: The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great
kindness. The Lord is good to all and compassionate toward all his works.
All:
I will praise your name forever,
my king and and my God.
Cantor: Let all your works give you thanks, O Lord, and
let your faithful ones bless you. Let them discourse of the glory of your
kingdom and speak of your might.
All:
I will praise your name forever,
my king and and my God.
Cantor: The Lord is faithful in all his words and holy in all his
works. The Lord lifts up all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed
down.
All:
I will praise your name forever,
my king and and my God.
The Second Reading: Taken from the New Testament, often from a letter written by St. Paul.
Second Reading: Romans 8:9, 11-13
Brothers and sisters: You are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in
the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the
Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. If the Spirit of the one who raise
Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will
give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Consequently, brothers and sisters, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live
according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die,
but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
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 11:25
Cantor: Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia!
All:
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Cantor: Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and
earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom.
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 Matthew.
All: Glory
to you, Lord.
The Gospel: Matthew 11:25-30
Matthew wrote to show that Christ
was the
Messiah and fulfilled the Jewish prophecies.
At
that time Jesus exclaimed: “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and
earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to little ones. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious
will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the
Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to
whom the Son wishes to reveal him.
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
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.
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 dedicated to your name purify us, O Lord, and day by day bring our conduct closer to the life of heaven. 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
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.
For, although you have no need of our praise, yet our thanksgiving is itself your gift, since our praises add nothing to your greatness but profit us for salvation, through Christ our Lord.
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.
Priest: We come to you, Father, with praise and thanksgiving, through Jesus Christ your Son. Through him we ask you to accept and bless these gifts we offer you in sacrifice.
We
offer them for your holy catholic Church, watch over it, Lord, and guide it;
grant it peace and unity throughout the world. We offer them for _____ our
Pope, for _____ our bishop, and for all who hold and teach the catholic faith
that comes to us from the apostles.
Remember, Lord, your people, especially those
for whom we now pray, _____ and _____. Remember all of us gathered here
before you. You know how firmly we believe in you and dedicate ourselves
to you. We offer you this sacrifice of praise for ourselves and those who
are dear to us. We pray to you, our living and true God, for our
well-being and redemption.
In union with the whole Church we honor Mary, the ever-virgin mother of
Jesus Christ our Lord and God. We honor Joseph, her husband, the apostles
and martyrs Peter and Paul, Andrew, James, John, Thomas, James, Philip,
Bartholomew, Matthew, Simon and Jude; we honor Linus, Cletus, Clement, Sixtus,
Cornelius, Cyprian, Lawrence, Chrysogonus, John and Paul, Cosmas and Damian and
all the saints. May their merits and prayers gain us your constant help
and protection. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Father, accept this offering from your whole family. Grant us your peace in this life, save us from final damnation, and count us among those you have chosen. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Bless and approve our offering; make it
acceptable to you, an offering in spirit and in truth. Let it become for
us the body and blood of Jesus Christ, your only Son, our Lord. Through
Christ our Lord. Amen.
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:
The day before he suffered he took
bread in his sacred hands and looking up to heaven, to you, his almighty Father,
he gave you thanks and praise. He broke the bread, gave it to his
disciples, and said:
Take this, all of
you and eat of it: for this is my Body which will be given up for you.
When
supper was ended, he took the cup. Again he gave you thanks and praise,
gave the cup to his disciples, and said:
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: 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: Father, we celebrate the memory of Christ, your Son. We, your people and your ministers, recall his passion, his resurrection from the dead, and his ascension into glory; and from the many gifts you have given us we offer to you, God of glory and majesty, this holy and perfect sacrifice: the bread of life and the cup of eternal salvation.
Look with favor on these offerings and accept them as once you accepted the gifts of your servant Able, the sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith, and the bread and wine offered by your priest Melchisedech.
Almighty God, we pray that your angel may take this sacrifice to your altar in heaven. Then, as we receive from this altar the sacred body and blood of your Son, let us be filled with every grace and blessing. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Remember, Lord, those who have died and have gone before us marked with the sign of faith, especially those for whom we now pray, _____ and _____. May these, and all who sleep in Christ, find in your presence light, happiness, and peace. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
For ourselves, too, we ask some share in the fellowship of your apostles and martyrs, with John the Baptist, Stephen, Matthias, Barnabas, Ignatius, Alexander, Marcellinus, Peter, Felicity, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucy, Agnes, Cecilia, Anastasia and all the saints. Though we are sinners, we trust in your mercy and love. Do not consider what we truly deserve, but grant us your forgiveness. Through Christ our Lord.
Through him you
give us all these gifts. You fill them with life and goodness, you bless
them and make them holy.
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. 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 ask our Father to forgive our sins and to bring us to forgive those
who sin against 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, 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 for ever.
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 grant us peace and unity of your kingdom where you live for
ever and ever. Amen.
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: May
the receiving of your Body and Blood, Lord Jesus Christ, not bring me to
judgment and condemnation, but through your loving mercy be for me protection in
mind and body and a healing remedy.
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:
Psalm 84: 4-5
Priest: Taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed the man who
seeks refuge in him.
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 for ever.
Prayer after Communion:
Priest: Let us pray.
Priest: Grant, we pray, O Lord, that, having been replenished
by such great gifts, we may gain the prize of salvation and never cease to
praise you. 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: Turn your people to you with all their heart, O Lord,
we pray, for you protect even those who go astray, but when they serve you with
undivided heart, you sustain them with still greater care. Through Christ
our Lord.
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.
Dismissal:
Priest: 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.
www.Divinemasterplanforlife.com
www.Saintsnheaven.com