Our Sunday Supplication

Sunday, May 2, 2021

Fifth 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

R. Alleluia, Alleluia, give thanks to the risen Lord,
Alleluia, Alleluia, give praise to His name.

V. Spread the good news o’er all the earth:
Jesus has died and has risen. R.

V. God has proclaimed his gracious gift:
Life eternal for all who believe. R.

V. Come, let us praise the living God,
Joyfully sing to our Savior. R.

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,
Constantly accomplish the Paschal Mystery within us,
that those you were pleased to make new in Holy Baptism
may, under your protective care, bear much fruit
and come to the joys of life eternal.
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 9:26-31)

When Saul arrived in Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. Then Barnabas took charge of him and brought him to the apostles, and he reported to them how he had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. He moved about freely with them in Jerusalem, and spoke out boldly in the name of the Lord. He also spoke and debated with the Hellenists, but they tried to kill him. And when the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him on his way to Tarsus.

The church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace. It was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord, and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit it grew in numbers.

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

Responsorial Psalm

(Psalm 22:26-27, 28, 30, 31-32)

Reader: I will praise you, LORD, in the assembly of your people.
Together: I will praise you, LORD, in the assembly of your people.

Reader: I will fulfill my vows before those who fear the LORD.
The lowly shall eat their fill;
they who seek the LORD shall praise him:
“May your hearts live forever!”
Together: I will praise you, LORD, in the assembly of your people.

Reader: All the ends of the earth
shall remember and turn to the LORD;
all the families of the nations
shall bow down before him.
Together: I will praise you, LORD, in the assembly of your people.

Reader: To him alone shall bow down
all who sleep in the earth;
before him shall bend
all who go down into the dust.
Together: I will praise you, LORD, in the assembly of your people.

Reader: And to him my soul shall live;
my descendants shall serve him.
Let the coming generation be told of the LORD
that they may proclaim to a people yet to be born
the justice he has shown.
Together: I will praise you, LORD, in the assembly of your people.

A Reading from the First Letter of Saint John

(1 John 3:18-24)

Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.
Now this is how we shall know that we belong to the truth and reassure our hearts before him in whatever our hearts condemn, for God is greater than our hearts and knows everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence in God and receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And his commandment is this: we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as he commanded us. Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them, and the way we know that he remains in us is from the Spirit he gave us.

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

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

(John 15:1-8)

Jesus said to his disciples: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

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

For Reflection:

1. As you meditate upon today’s readings, what words, phrases, or images resonate in your mind and heart? What might God be speaking to you today?
2. In today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we hear that “when Saul arrived in Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.” How did the disciples overcome their fear of Saul? What role does fear play in our own efforts to evangelize and spread the Gospel? How can we overcome those fears so that we may accompany others and welcome them into the household of God?
3. What areas of your life could use pruning? How can you grow closer to Jesus this week, and what fruit might he desire to produce through you?

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.