Our Sunday Supplication

Sunday, November 22, 2020

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Holy Mass is at the very core of our worship as a Catholic community. Nothing can ever be substituted for the celebration of the Eucharist. But in this exceptional time of difficulty for our communities, our nation, and the whole world, this order of prayer can be offered by individuals and families and engages us in our Sunday celebration of the Word of God. We can pray this prayer in our homes—the “domestic churches” which help build up the Body of Christ on earth—and thus be connected to the entire Church at prayer.

During this time of prayer, we include the opportunity to make a Spiritual Communion. Making a Spiritual Communion is a worthy practice, recommended by innumerable saints throughout the ages, which unites our whole selves to God and his Church.

Order of Prayer

Taken from the Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours

Introduction

Leader: God, ✠ come to my assistance.
Response: Lord, make haste to help me.

Leader: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Response: as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Hymn

Alleluia! Sing to Jesus!
His the scepter, his the throne.
Alleluia! His the triumph,
His the victory alone.
Hark! The songs of peaceful Zion
Thunder like a mighty flood:
“Jesus out of ev’ry nation
Has redeemed us by his blood.”

Alleluia! Bread of angels,
Here on earth our food, our stay!
Alleluia! Here the sinful
Flee to you from day to day.
Intercessor, friend of sinners,
Earth’s redeemer, plead for me,
Where the songs of all the sinless
Sweep across the crystal sea.

Alleluia! King eternal,
You the Lord of lords we own;
Alleluia! Born of Mary,
Earth your footstool, heav’n your throne.
You within the veil have entered,
Robed in flesh, our great high priest;
Here on earth both priest and victim
In the eucharistic feast.

Act of Contrition

Leader: Let us acknowledge our sins, and seek the Lord’s pardon and peace.

Together: 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.

Leader: Almighty ever-living God,
whose will is to restore all things in your beloved Son,
the King of the universe,
grant, we pray,
that the whole creation, set free from slavery,
may render your majesty service and ceaselessly proclaim your praise.
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.
Together: Amen.

The Sunday Readings

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 34:11–12, 15–17)

Thus says the Lord GOD: I myself will look after and tend my sheep. As a shepherd tends his flock when he finds himself among his scattered sheep, so will I tend my sheep. I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered when it was cloudy and dark. I myself will pasture my sheep; I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD. The lost I will seek out, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy, shepherding them rightly.

As for you, my sheep, says the Lord GOD, I will judge between one sheep and another, between rams and goats.

The Word of the Lord.
―Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm (Psalms 23:1–2, 2–3, 5–6)

Reader: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Together: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Reader: The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose.
Together: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Reader: Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Together: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Reader: You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Together: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Reader: Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
Together: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

A Reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 15:20–26, 28)

Brothers and sisters: Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits 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 firstfruits; 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. When everything is subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.

The word of the Lord.
―Thanks be to God.

Gospel Verse (Mark 11:9, 10)

Reader: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Together: Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come!

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Matthew 25:31–46)

Jesus said to his disciples: "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

The Gospel of the Lord.
―Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

For Reflection:

1. In Scripture there are many instances of references to God as a shepherd and to his people as sheep. How is God like a shepherd? How are we like sheep?
2. How has the Lord shepherded you throughout your life?
3. In reference to this Gospel, St. Teresa of Calcutta referred to the poor, the hungry, the sick, and the imprisoned as “Christ in his most distressing disguise.” Why would Christ appear to us in a way that we find so distressing? Where do you encounter him in this way?

Response to the Word

Leader: Your saints, O Lord, will tell of the glory of your kingdom.
Response: Your saints, O Lord, will tell of the glory of your kingdom.

Leader: They will proclaim your power.
Response: They will tell of the glory of your kingdom.

Leader: Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Response: Your saints, O Lord, will tell of the glory of your kingdom.

Prayer of the Faithful

Leader: Let us pray to Christ the King. He is the firstborn of all creation; all things exist in him.
Response: May your kingdom come, O Lord.

Leader: Christ, you are our savior and our God, our shepherd and our king, lead your people to life-giving pastures.
Response: May your kingdom come, O Lord.

Leader: Good Shepherd, you laid down your life for you sheep, rule over us, and in your care we shall want for nothing.
Response: May your kingdom come, O Lord.

Leader: Christ, our redeemer, you have been made king over all the earth, restore all creation in yourself.
Response: May your kingdom come, O Lord.

Leader: King of all creation, you came into the world to bear witness to the truth, may all men come to acknowledge your primacy in all things.
Response: May your kingdom come, O Lord.

Leader: Christ, our model and master, you have brought us into your kingdom, grant that we may be holy and blameless before you this day.
Response: May your kingdom come, O Lord.

Leader: In your mercy, continue to sanctify all who are afflicted from the present pandemic, and draw us all closer to you, and to one another, in this time of suffering.
Response: May your kingdom come, O Lord.

The Lord's Prayer

Leader: Let us pray together as Jesus taught us:
Together: Our Father, who art in heaven …

Spiritual Communion

Leader: You have given us bread from heaven,
Response: Containing in itself all delight
Together: My Jesus,
I believe that you are present
in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
I love you above all things,
and I desire to receive you into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace you as if you were already there
and unite myself wholly to you.
Never permit me to be separated from you,
my Lord and my God!
Amen.

Canticle of Praise

Canticle of Zechariah (Luke 1:68-79)
Together: ✠ Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.

Conclusion

Leader: ✠ May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.
Together: Amen.