Family Prayer for the Second Sunday of Lent

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

Second Sunday of Lent

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:

With all our limitations and weaknesses,
we come before the God of love, who gives us fullness of life.

After a pause for silent reflection, the leader continues.

Leader:

All:

Lord, have mercy.

Leader

All:

Christ, have mercy.

Leader

All:

Lord, have mercy.

COLLECT

Leader:

Let us pray.

O God, who have commanded us to listen to your beloved Son, be pleased, we pray, to nourish us inwardly by your word, that, with spiritual sight made pure, we may rejoice to behold your glory. 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. Amen.

All:

Amen.

THE LITURGY OF THE WORD

FIRST READING

Reader:

A reading from the Book of Genesis

God put Abraham to the test. He called to him, "Abraham!" "Here
I am!" he replied. Then God said: "Take your son Isaac, your
only one, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. There
you shall offer him up as a holocaust on a height that I will
point out to you."

When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham
built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. Then he reached
out and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the Lord's messenger
called to him from heaven, "Abraham, Abraham!" "Here I am!" he
answered. "Do not lay your hand on the boy," said the messenger.
"Do not do the least thing to him. I know now how devoted you
are to God, since you did not withhold from me your own beloved
son." As Abraham looked about, he spied a ram caught by its horns
in the thicket. So he went and took the ram and offered it up
as a holocaust in place of his son.

Again the Lord's messenger called to Abraham from heaven and
said: "I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you
acted as you did in not withholding from me your beloved son,
I will bless you abundantly and make your descendants as countless
as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore; your descendants
shall take possession of the gates of their enemies, and in your
descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing — all
this because you obeyed my command."

Psalm 116

The Word of the Lord.

All:

Thanks be to God.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

Reader:

I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
All:
I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.

Reader:

I believed, even when I said,
"I A.M. greatly afflicted."
Precious in the eyes of the Lord
is the death of his faithful ones.
All:
I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.

Reader:

O Lord, I A.M. your servant;
I A.M. your servant, the son of your handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.
To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and I will call upon the name of the Lord.
All:
I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.

Reader:

My vows to the Lord I will pay
in the presence of all his people,
in the courts of the house of the Lord,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
All:
I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.

SECOND READING

Reader:

A reading from a letter to the Romans
Brothers and sisters: If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him?

Who will bring a charge against God's chosen ones? It is God who acquits us. Who will condemn? Christ Jesus it is who died — or, rather, was raised — who also is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us.
The Word of the Lord.

All:

Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Cantor:

Praise to you, Lord, Jesus Christ, King of endless glory! All:
Praise to you, Lord, Jesus Christ, King of endless glory!

Cantor:

From the shining cloud the Father's voice is heard: This is my beloved Son, listen to him. (cf. Mt 17:5)

All:

Praise to you, Lord, Jesus Christ, King of endless glory!

GOSPEL

Leader:

A reading from the Gospel according to Mark:

Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, "Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; from the cloud came a voice, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him." Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them.

As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant.

The Gospel of the Lord.

All:

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

REFLECTION

Reader:

Daily Meditation: Romans 8:31-34

He . . . handed him over for us all. (Romans 8:32)
Yes, God loved us so much that he did not spare his Son. But what St. Paul doesn't mention in today's passage is how persistent God was in handing Jesus over to us. Neither does Paul talk about how resistant we can be to this great gift.

At Christmas, God handed over his Son to us as a gift of peace. Mary and Joseph welcomed him openly, and a few shepherds embraced him, but the rest of the world seemed pitted against him. Even Herod and all Jerusalem feared him and trembled at the news of his birth (Matthew 2:3).

Then the Father handed Jesus over to us as a gift of wisdom: "This is my beloved Son," he proclaimed (Matthew 3:17). He sent him to teach us how to live in love with him and each other. But rather than receive Jesus humbly, we questioned his every motive and were hard of heart and slow to believe.

On the Mount of Transfiguration, God offered Jesus as a gift of glory: "This is my beloved Son," he said yet again, adding an impassioned plea: "Listen to him" (Mark 9:7). Still, even Peter misunderstood the gift. He sought to capture Jesus' glory as a static memorial rather than a living presence.

God even used Pilate to hand Jesus over to us, this time as a gift of sacrifice: "Behold, the man! . . . Take him yourselves and crucify him!" Pilate cried. He didn't even know that he was helping fulfill Jesus' mission. But again we rejected the gift: "Take him away!" we replied (John 19:5, 6, 15).

On Easter Sunday, God gave Jesus to us again, this time as a gift of forgiveness and redemption. And every day since then, he continues to offer Jesus to us in the humble form of bread and wine: "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world."

Jesus is here. Accept him. Let him change your heart.

Lord, I A.M. not worthy to receive you, but you still offer yourself to me. Help me to embrace you so that my soul may be healed.

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:

Inspired by Abraham's faith-filled confidence in the Father's love and concern, we bring our prayers to God:

Reader:

The response will be: Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For the Church, (pause)
that our truest selves, beloved daughters and sons of God,
may be revealed more and more through our Lenten observances.

We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For the leaders of every nation: (pause)
that God will help them to share their knowledge
and resources with people and countries that
are burdened by poverty and natural disasters.

We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For enlightenment on our Lenten journey: (pause)
that as we participate in sacrificial practices during this Lenten season, we may make more room in our life for God, the giver of all life.

We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For openness: (pause)
that we may be attentive to God's voice and never let
the blare of busyness, ambition, nor consumerism drown out
God's word to us.

We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For successful production and distribution of the Covid vaccines: (pause)
that God will guide all who are producing the vaccines to fulfill
their responsibilities and assist all who are distributing and
administering them.

We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For all recovering from winter storms: (pause)
that God will protect them from harm, restore their utilities,
and make available the resources that they need.

We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For all students and teachers, (pause)
that God will guide the educational process,
help everyone to grow, and keep everyone safe.

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:

God of Abraham, Isaac, Moses, and Elijah,
aid us to be faithful servants as we offer these prayers,
in the name of your holy servant Jesus.
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