Family Prayer for the Feast of Christ the King

A PRAYER SERVICE AT HOME
WHEN ATTENDANCE AT MASS IS NOT POSSIBLE

Feast of Christ the King

In these extraordinary times when we cannot gather as a Christian Community to celebrate Mass, let us unite ourselves spiritually to the Mass as it is being celebrated in our churches.

One way you can do this by joining broadcast Masses on radio, television, or via the internet.

This resource is offered to provide a ritual by which families, "the domestic church," can keep the Lord's day holy by joining together to celebrate part of the Church's liturgy at home. Ideally, the head of the family will lead the service; other members of the family should take on roles as readers.

It would be appropriate to celebrate this service at the usual time the family would attend Mass. If possible, prepare a suitable prayer space with a crucifix, holy picture and/or a candle or two. If the family is blessed with musical talent, hymns would be appropriate.

INTRODUCTORY RITES

Leader:

All:
Amen.

GREETING

Leader:

We gather together to keep holy the Lord's Day. Sunday has been called the Lord's Day because it was on this day, on the first Easter, that Jesus conquered sin and death and rose to new life. Although public Mass has been restored, the threat of the transmission of COVID-19 continues, the Archbishop is continuing the dispensation from the Sunday Mass obligation, and those who are not yet comfortable with the potential risk of returning to Sunday Mass still strive through these prayers to be united in the spirit of Christ with the Church around the world and celebrate our redemption in Christ's suffering, death and resurrection

Leader:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be God for ever. All:
Blessed be God for ever.

PENITENTIAL ACT

Leader:

Coming together as God's family, with confidence let us acclaim the Father's forgiveness, for God is full of gentleness and compassion.

After a pause for silent reflection, the leader continues.

Leader:

All:

Lord, have mercy.

Leader

All:

Christ, have mercy.

Leader

All:

Lord, have mercy.

GLORY TO GOD

All:

Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of good will.

We praise you, we bless you
we adore you, we glorify you,
we give you thanks for your great glory,
Lord God, heavenly King,
O God, almighty Father.

Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
you take away the sins of the world,
   have mercy on us;
you take away the sins of the world,
   receive our prayer;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father,
   have mercy on us.

For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High, (Jesus),
Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

COLLECT

Leader:

Let us pray.

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. Amen.

All:

Amen.

THE LITURGY OF THE WORD

FIRST READING

Reader:

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.

All:

Thanks be to God.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

Reader:

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

SECOND READING

Reader:

A reading from a letter to the Corinthians:
Brothers and sisters: Christ has been raised from the dead, the
first-fruits 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.
All:
Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Cantor:

Alleluia, alleluia. All:
Alleluia, alleluia.

Cantor:

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come!

All:

Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL

Leader:

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.

All:

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

REFLECTION

This reflection appears in The Word Among Us which is providing free access to their magazine content during this stage of the coronavirus crisis. Visit wau.org.

Reader:

Daily Meditation: Matthew 25:31-46

Inherit the kingdom. (Matthew 25:34)

Today, on the feast of Christ the King, we celebrate Jesus' sovereignty over all creation. We celebrate the fact that all things were created through him, all things are redeemed through him, and all people will be judged by him.

It's this last point — Jesus as judge — that today's Gospel focuses on. It tells us that as our King, Jesus has the right to set the standard by which we will be judged. Other judges exercise their office based on the existing laws of the land. But Jesus is the law of the kingdom. His life, his way, is the standard by which we will be judged.

If you want to be a judge in this world, you have to know the law intimately. Just one word in one statute can affect the entire outcome of a case. Not so with Jesus. His law is simple. We will "inherit the kingdom" based on this guiding principle: "Whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:34, 40). That's the standard: mercy, generosity, and self-giving love.

It's often said that you can't take it with you, and there is a lot of truth to that. All our money, all our honors, all our possessions are temporary. They won't follow us to heaven, and they can't help us get in. But there is something we can take with us: our acts of charity. In fact, they are the very things that will open the gates of heaven to us!

Jesus will not be impressed if we have many possessions, and he will not be disappointed if we have just a few. What matters is whether we have let him soften our hearts so that we feed the hungry, forgive those who have sinned against us, and reach out to the lonely. Because his kingdom is not a kingdom of wealth and power; it is a kingdom of humility, love, and service.

"Jesus, my King and my Judge, teach me to love as you love."

PROFESSION OF FAITH

All:

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:

[All bow during these two lines:]
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and become 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.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who 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.

GENERAL INTERCESSIONS

Leader:

In joyful hope, let us come before God
in the name of our King, Jesus Christ.

Reader:

The response will be: Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For the Church:
(pause)
that we may recognize Christ in one another and honor
the dignity of each person whom God has called to life.

We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For all newly elected leaders: (pause)
that they may follow the example of Jesus who served those in need and reached out to those who were forgotten, and never sought to benefit personally from his authority.

We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For world leaders: (pause)
that their hearts may comprehend the depth of human suffering that exists and urgently strive to address the needs for food, clean water, safety, and healthcare for the human family.

We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For all who have experienced violence or abuse: (pause)
that God will heal their spirits, free them from fear and help them to live life fully.

We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For dynamic faith: (pause)
that in times of chaos and confusion, we may be confident that Christ will defeat all evils, including death, and lead us to the fullness of life with God.

We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For all who are away from home and loved ones, particularly members of the military and relief workers: (pause)
that God will preserve them from harm, give them strength for their service, and lead them home safely.

We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For the sick, especially those for whom we have been asked to pray,
and, particularly, those who are placed in quarantine and isolation, (pause)
that God's healing touch may bring them comfort and peace.

We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For all our sisters and brothers who have died, especially
those who have died from the coronavirus pandemic,
(pause)

that they experience the joy of God's heavenly family for all eternity.

We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For the prayers we now make in the silence of our hearts, (pause)

We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Leader:

Father, you have chosen us as a royal priesthood.
We make our prayers this day,
conscious of the victory that is ours.
Through Christ our Lord.
All:
Amen.

LORD'S PRAYER

Leader:

Let us pray with confidence to the Father in the words our Savior gave us. All:

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.

Amen.

SPIRITUAL COMMUNION

All:

My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most Blessed Sacrament.
I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot now 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.

Amen.

PRAYER OF BLESSING

Leader:

St Michael, the Archangel, Protect and Pray for us. All:
Amen.

Leader:

The Lord bless us and keep us; the Lord make his face shine on us and be gracious to us; the Lord turn his face toward us and give us his peace both now and forever. All:
Amen.

Leader:

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. All:
Amen.

SOURCES

Prayers at Home When Gathering for Mass Is Not Possible
© 2020, the Diocese of Clonfert and the Diocese of Elphin, Ireland

Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest: Leader's Edition
© 2007, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC