Our Sunday Supplication

Sunday, April 18, 2021

Third Sunday of Easter

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: O God, ✠ come to my assistance.
Response: O 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

Audio Recording

Christ, the Lord, is ris’n today, Alleluia!
All on earth with angels say: Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, O heavens; and, earth, reply: Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now your sting? Alleluia!
Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where your victory, O grave? Alleluia!

Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids him rise, Alleluia!
Christ has opened paradise. Alleluia!

Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!
Foll’wing our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies. Alleluia!

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: May your people exult for ever, O God,
in renewed youthfulness of spirit,
so that, rejoicing now in the restored glory of our adoption,
we may look forward in confident hope
to the rejoicing of the day of resurrection.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Together: Amen.

The Sunday Readings

USCCB Audio Recording of Sunday Readings

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 3:13-15, 17-19)

Peter said to the people: “The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and denied in Pilate’s presence when he had decided to release him. You denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. The author of life you put to death, but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses. Now I know, brothers, that you acted out of ignorance, just as your leaders did; but God has thus brought to fulfillment what he had announced beforehand through the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer. Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away.”

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

Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 4:2, 4, 7-8, 9)

Reader: Lord, let your face shine on us.
Together: Lord, let your face shine on us.

Reader: When I call, answer me, O my just God,
you who relieve me when I am in distress;
have pity on me, and hear my prayer!
Together: Lord, let your face shine on us.

Reader: Know that the LORD does wonders for his faithful one;
the LORD will hear me when I call upon him.
Together: Lord, let your face shine on us.

Reader: O LORD, let the light of your countenance shine upon us!
You put gladness into my heart.
Together: Lord, let your face shine on us.

Reader: As soon as I lie down, I fall peacefully asleep,
for you alone, O LORD,
bring security to my dwelling.
Together: Lord, let your face shine on us.

A Reading from the First Letter of Saint John (1 John 2:1-5a)

My children, I am writing this to you so that you may not commit sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one. He is expiation for our sins, and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world. The way we may be sure that we know him is to keep his commandments. Those who say, “I know him,” but do not keep his commandments are liars, and the truth is not in them. But whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him.

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

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Luke 24:35-48)

The two disciples recounted what had taken place on the way, and how Jesus was made known to them in the breaking of bread.

While they were still speaking about this, he stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” And as he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed, he asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of baked fish; he took it and ate it in front of them.

He said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And he said to them, “Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.”

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

For Reflection:

1. In the First Reading, Peter recounts how Jesus was put to death by those who “acted out of ignorance” and implores them to repent. As Christians, we are called to continual conversion and renewal. How have you repented and changed in the past? How is God calling you to live more faithfully today?
2. “Of this we are witnesses”… As disciples, we too are witnesses of Christ’s Paschal Mystery: his Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension. How will we proclaim to the world that “are witnesses of these things”? How can our witness draw others into the life of Christ and His Church?
3. The disciples on the road to Emmaus recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread and were filled with peace and joy. During this Eucharistic encounter, Jesus then asked them for something to eat. Who is Jesus asking us to feed in His name this week (physically or spiritually)?

Response to the Word

Leader: Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on us, alleluia, alleluia.
Response: Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on us, alleluia, alleluia.

Leader: You have risen from the dead,
Response: alleluia, alleluia.

Leader: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Response: Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on us, alleluia, alleluia.

Prayer of the Faithful

Leader: Christ is the Lord of life, raised up by the Father; in his turn he will raise us up by his power. Let us pray to him, saying:
Response: Christ our life, save us.

Leader: Lord Jesus, light shining in the darkness, you lead your people into life, and give our mortal nature the gift of holiness, may we spend this day in praise of your glory.
Response: Christ our life, save us.

Leader: Lord, you walked the way of suffering and crucifixion, may we suffer and die with you, and rise again to share your glory.
Response: Christ our life, save us.

Leader: Son of the Father, our master and our brother, you have made us a kingdom of priests for our God, may we offer you our joyful sacrifice of praise.
Response: Christ our life, save us.

Leader: King of glory, we look forward to the great day of your coming in splendor, that we may see you face to face, and be transformed in your likeness.
Response: Christ our life, save us.

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: Christ our life, save us.

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, alleluia, alleluia.
Response: Containing in itself all delight, alleluia, alleluia.
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.