Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
(Corpus Christi)
June 6, 2010, Cycle C
Red priestly vestments symbolize the supreme sacrifice of life for the love of
God.
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Liturgical
Year Cycle C 09-10
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: 81:17
The Lord fed his people with the finest wheat
and honey; their hunger was satisfied.
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 Lord
be with you.
All:
And also with you.
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.
All: I confess to
almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned through my
own fault in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done, and in what I
have failed to do; and 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.
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 thinks, 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 Opening Prayer:
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. Lord Jesus Christ, you gave us the
Eucharist as the memorial of your suffering and death. May our worship of
this sacrament of your body and blood help us to experience the salvation you
won for us and the peace of the kingdom where you live with the Father and the
Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
All: Amen.
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
Genesis.
First Reading: Genesis 14:18-20
In those days, Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine,
and being a priest of God Most High, he blessed Abram with these words: "Blessed
be Abram by God Most High, the creator of heaven and earth; and blessed be God
Most High, who delivered your foes into your hand." Then Abram gave him a
tenth of everything.
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 110:1,2,3,4
Cantor: You are a priest for ever, in the line of
Melchizedek.
All R/.
You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
Cantor: The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies
your footstool."
All R/. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
Cantor: The scepter of your power the Lord will stretch forth from Zion: "Rule in
the midst of your enemies."
All R/. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
Cantor: "Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor, before the
daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you."
All R/.
You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
Cantor: The Lord has sworn, and he will not repent: "You are a priest forever, according
to the order of Melchizedek."
R/.
You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The Second Reading:
Taken from the New Testament, often from a
letter written by St. Paul.
Priest/Reader: A Reading
from the first letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians.
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians
11:23-26
Brothers and sisters: I received from the Lord what I also handed on to
you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, and,
after he had given thanks, broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you.
Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also the cup, after supper,
saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as
you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread
and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.
Priest/Reader: The
word of the Lord.
All: Thanks
be to God.
The Sequence: A sort of hymn but in no
regular meter. They were very numerous in the Middle Ages. There are
now five used through the Church Year on special occasions.
Lauda Sion (O Zion)
Lo! the angel's food is given to the pilgrim who has striven;
See the children's bread from heaven, which on dogs may not be spent.
Truth the ancient types fulfilling, Isaac
bound, a victim willing,
Paschal lamb, its lifeblood spilling, manna to the fathers sent.
Very bread, good shepherd, tend us, Jesu,
of your love befriend us.
You refresh us, you defend us, your eternal goodness send us in the land of life
to see.
You who all things can and know, who on
earth such food bestow,
Grant us with your saints, though lowest, where the heavenly feast you show,
fellow heirs and guests to be.
Amen. Alleluia.
The Alleluia:
An ancient expression of joy anticipating
the Lord's message we will hear in the Gospel.
John 6:51
Cantor: Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia!
ALL: R/. Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia!
Cantor: I am the living bread that came
down from heaven, says the Lord; whoever eats this bread will live forever.
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.
Deacon: A
reading from the holy Gospel according
to Luke.
All: Glory
to you, Lord.
The Gospel: Luke 9:11b-17
Jesus spoke to the crowds about the
kingdom of God, and he healed those who needed to be cured. As the day was
drawing to a close, the Twelve approached him and said, "Dismiss the crowd so
that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms and find lodging and
provisions; for we are in a deserted place here." He said to them, "Give
them some food yourselves." They replied, "Five loaves and two fish are
all we have, unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people."
Now the men there numbered about five thousand. Then he said to his
disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about fifty." They did so and
made them all sit down. Then taking the five loaves and the two fish, and
looking up to heaven, he said the blessing over them, broke them, and gave them
to the disciples to set before the crowd. They all ate and were satisfied.
And when the leftover fragments were picked up, they filled twelve wicker
baskets.
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, through your goodness we have
this bread to offer, which earth has
given and human hands have made. 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: Lord
God, we ask you to receive us and be pleased with the sacrifice we offer you
with humble and contrite hearts.
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: Lord,
wash away my iniquity; 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: Lord, may the bread and cup we offer
bring your Church the unity and peace they signify. We ask this in the
name
of Jesus the Lord.
All: Amen.
Eucharistic Prayer:
(Number One: The priest may select from several forms).
Priest: The Lord be with you.
All: And also with you.
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: Father, all-powerful and
ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks through
Jesus Christ our Lord. He is the true and eternal priest who established
this unending sacrifice. He offered himself as a victim for our
deliverance and taught us to make this offering in His memory. As we eat
His body which He gave for us, we grow in strength. As we drink His blood
which He poured out for us, we are washed clean. Now, with angels and
archangels, and the whole company of heaven, we sing the unending hymn of your
praise.
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: Christ has
died. Christ is risen. Christ will 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 pray with confidence to the Father in the words our Savior gave 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: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, by the will of the Father and the
work of the Holy Spirit,
your death brought life to the world. By your holy Body and Blood
free me from all my sins, and from every evil. Keep me faithful to your
teaching, and never let me be parted from you.
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:
Communion Prayer: John 6:56
Priest:
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood will
live in me and I in him, says the Lord.
Communion of the Faithful:
Priest:
The Body of Christ.
The Faithful: Amen.
Priest:
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: Lord
Jesus Christ, you give us your body and blood in the Eucharist as a sign that
even now we share your life. May we come to possess it completely in the
kingdom where you live for ever and ever.
All: Amen.
Concluding Rite
Priest: The Lord be with you.
All: And also with you.
Priest: Bow your heads and let us pray for God's blessing.
Dismissal Prayer: (The priest may select
from several forms)
Priest: Lord, have mercy on your people. Grant us in
this life the good things that lead to the everlasting life you prepare
for us. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Priest:
May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All:
Amen.
Priest: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
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.
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Year Cycle C 09-10