ENTRANCE ANTIPHON
Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us, as he promised through the mouth of his holy prophets.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit
be with you all.
And with your spirit.
Brethren (brothers and sisters), let us acknowledge our sins,
and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.
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,
[All strike their breast]
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.
May almighty God have mercy on us,
forgive us our sins,
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.
COLLECT
Let us pray.
May the coming of your Word enlighten us, O God, and cleanse our hearts from every stain of sin, through Jesus Christ, our Lord and God, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, forever and ever.
Amen.
LITURGY OF THE WORD
FIRST READING
A reading from the Prophet Isaiah (40:1-11)
Comfort, give comfort to my people,
says your God.
Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her service has ended,
that her guilt is expiated,
That she has received from the hand of the LORD
double for all her sins.
A voice proclaims:
In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD!
Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!
Every valley shall be lifted up,
every mountain and hill made low;
The rugged land shall be a plain,
the rough country, a broad valley.
Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together;
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
A voice says, ‘Proclaim!’
I answer, ‘What shall I proclaim?’
‘All flesh is grass,
and all their loyalty like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower wilts,
when the breath of the LORD blows upon it.’
‘Yes, the people is grass!
The grass withers, the flower wilts,
but the word of our God stands forever.’
Go up onto a high mountain,
Zion, herald of good news!
Cry out at the top of your voice,
Jerusalem, herald of good news!
Cry out, do not fear!
Say to the cities of Judah:
Here is your God!
Here comes with power
the Lord GOD,
who rules by his strong arm;
Here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;
in his arms he gathers the lambs,
Carrying them in his bosom,
leading the ewes with care.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
PSALM
Psalm 71 (72)
R. Come, Lord, king of justice and peace.
O God, give your judgment to the king;
your justice to the king’s son;
That he may govern your people with justice,
your oppressed with right judgment. R.
Abundance will flourish in his days,
great bounty, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
from the river to the ends of the earth. R.
May his name be forever;
as long as the sun, may his name endure.
May the tribes of the earth give blessings with his name;
may all the nations regard him as favoured. R.
EPISTLE
A reading from the Letter of St Paul to the Hebrews (10:5-9a)
Brothers, on coming into the world, Christ says, ‘Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight in. Then I said, “As is written of me in the scroll, Behold, I come to do your will, O God.”’ First he says, ‘Sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings, you neither desired nor delighted in.’ These are offered according to the law. Then he says, ‘Behold, I come to do your will.’
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Alleluia.
Blessed is he who comes
in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna to the Son of David.
Alleluia.
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you
And with your spirit.
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Matthew (21:1-9)
Glory to you, O Lord.
When they drew near Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find an ass tethered, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them here to me. And if anyone should say anything to you, reply, “The master has need of them.” Then he will send them at once.’ This happened so that what had been spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled:
‘Say to daughter Zion,
“Behold, your king comes to you,
meek and riding on an ass,
and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.”’
The disciples went and did as Jesus had ordered them. They brought the ass and the colt and laid their cloaks over them, and he sat upon them. The very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and strewed them on the road. The crowds preceding him and those following kept crying out and saying:
‘Hosanna to the Son of David;
blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord;
hosanna in the highest.’
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
AFTER THE GOSPEL
Fear not, Zion, let not let your hands hang limp! The Lord your God in your midst is a mighty saviour, he will rejoice over you.
PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL
Dear brothers and sisters, filled with paschal joy,
let us pray more earnestly to God that he, who graciously listened
to the prayers and supplications of his beloved Son,
may now be pleased to look upon us in our lowliness.
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer
CONCLUSION OF THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
May your grace, O almighty God, inspire and sustain those on the path of salvation who wait for the Lord with ardent hope; give them your help for the present life and blessings for the life to come. Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
THE LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
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.
Blessed be God forever.
Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,
for through your goodness we have received
this wine we offer you:
fruit of the vine and work of human hands,
it will become our spiritual drink.
Blessed be God forever.
PROFESSION OF FAITH
I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
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.
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 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 forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS
Sanctify, O God, our gifts. As we receive them at the feast of your Son, may we find there the pledge of eternal glory. Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
PREFACE
The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right and just.
It is truly right and just
Always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God,
As we joyfully celebrate the advent of our salvation.
With your promise of redemption you raised the human race after the Fall to a new hope of grace, created as we are in the holiness and righteousness of your divine Word. In the fulness of time you sent that same Word into the world so that, living among us as man, you might reveal to us the mystery of your paternal love; and, with the bonds of death dissolved pour into us anew the eternal life of heaven.
Conscious of this gift, united with the angels and saints, we raise to you our hymn of praise:
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.
EUCHARISTIC PRAYER
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,
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.
The mystery of faith.
We proclaim your Death, O Lord,
and profess your Resurrection
until you come again.
Therefore, 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, Lord, your Church,
spread throughout the world,
and bring her to the fullness of charity,
together with Francis our Pope
and Mario 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.
Through him, and with him, and in him,
O God, almighty Father,
In the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all glory and honour is yours,
Forever and ever
Amen.
THE COMMUNION RITE
BREAKING OF THE BREAD
O God With Us, our sovereign, who gave us the law of love: you, awaited by the nations: you, who alone can redeem them, come and save us.
At the Saviour’s command
and formed by divine teaching,
we dare to say:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy 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.
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 Saviour, Jesus Christ.
For the kingdom,
the power and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
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.
Amen.
The peace and communion of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always.
And with your spirit.
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.
Lord, I am not worthy
that you should enter under my roof,
but only say the word
and my soul shall be healed.
AT HOLY COMMUNION
God alone is my salvation and my support; I stand firm because he bears me up. God is my hope and my aid; trust in him, pour out your heart to him.
The Body of Christ.
Amen.
AFTER HOLY COMMUNION
Let us pray.
O Lord, who in the divine sacrament has already so abundantly anticipated for us eternal redemption, hear our plea: as the passing of the days brings us nearer to the precious birth of Christ, increase our interior resolve to worthily celebrate the mystery of our salvation. Who lives and reigns, world without end,
Amen.
The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit.
Kyrie, eleison. Kyrie, eleison. Kyrie, eleison.
May almighty God bless you,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Go in peace.
In the name of Christ.
