Family Prayer for Divine Mercy Sunday

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

Divine Mercy Sunday - April 11, 2021

In these times when not all feel free to gather together 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:

The risen Christ goes before us into God's glory.
With joyful alleluias we celebrate giving praise and thanks.

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.

God of everlasting mercy,
who in the very recurrence of the paschal feast
kindle the faith of the people you have made your own,
increase, we pray, the grace you have bestowed,
that all may grasp and rightly understand
in what font they have been washed,
by whose Spirit they have been reborn,
by whose Blood they have been redeemed.
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 Acts

The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no
one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they
had everything in common. With great power the apostles bore
witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor
was accorded them all. There was no needy person among them,
for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring
the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the apostles,
and they were distributed to each according to need.

The Word of the Lord.

All:

Thanks be to God.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

Reader:

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
All:
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love is everlasting.

Reader:

Let the house of Israel say,
"His mercy endures forever."
Let the house of Aaron say,
"His mercy endures forever."
Let those who fear the Lord say,
"His mercy endures forever."
All:
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love is everlasting.

Reader:

I was hard pressed and was falling,
but the Lord helped me.
My strength and my courage is the Lord,
and he has been my savior.
The joyful shout of victory
in the tents of the just.
All:
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love is everlasting.

Reader:

The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the Lord has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the Lord has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
All:
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love is everlasting.

SECOND READING

Leader:

Beloved: Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God, and everyone who loves the Father loves also the one begotten by him. In this way we know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey his commandments. For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our faith. Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and blood. The Spirit is the one that testifies, and the Spirit is truth.

Leader:

The Word of the Lord.
All:
Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Cantor:

Alleluia! Alleluia! All:
Alleluia! Alleluia!

Cantor:

You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me, says the Lord;
blessed are those who have not seen me, but still believe!

All:

Alleluia! Alleluia!

GOSPEL

Leader:

A reading from the Gospel according to John:

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."

Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe." Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."

Now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

The Gospel of the Lord.

All:

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

All:

Amen.

REFLECTION

Reader:

Daily Meditation: John 20:19-31

My Lord and my God! (John 20:28)

From a homily by Pope Francis for Divine Mercy Sunday, April 7, 2013:

"In today's Gospel, the apostle Thomas personally experiences the mercy of God, which has a concrete face, the face of Jesus, the risen Jesus. Thomas does not believe it when the other apostles tell him, `We have seen the Lord' (John 20:25). It isn't enough for him that Jesus had foretold it. . . . He wants to see; he wants to put his hand in the place of the nails and in Jesus' side.

"And how does Jesus react? With patience: Jesus does not abandon Thomas in his stubborn unbelief; he gives him a week's time, he does not close the door, he waits. And Thomas acknowledges his own poverty, his little faith.

"`My Lord and my God!' (John 20:28). With this simple yet faith-filled invocation, he responds to Jesus' patience. He lets himself be enveloped by divine mercy; he sees it before his eyes, in the wounds of Christ's hands and feet and in his open side, and he discovers trust: he is a new man, no longer an unbeliever, but a believer. . . .

"Maybe someone among us here is thinking: my sin is so great, I A.M. as far from God as the younger son in the parable, my unbelief is like that of Thomas; I don't have the courage to go back, to believe that God can welcome me and that he is waiting for me, of all people. But God is indeed waiting for you; he asks of you only the courage to go to him. . . .

"Let us find the courage to return to his house, to dwell in his loving wounds, allowing ourselves to be loved by him and to encounter his mercy in the sacraments. We will feel his wonderful tenderness, we will feel his embrace, and we too will become more capable of mercy, patience, forgiveness and love."

"My Lord and my God! Thank you for your unending mercy!"

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:

We have not seen but still believe.
With confident faith we bring our concerns before God.

Reader:

The response will be: Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For the Church: (pause)
that through the gift of the Spirit,
we recognize God's presence with us
and profess with Thomas, "My Lord and My God".

We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For peace: (pause)
that the Spirit will open dialogue and new understanding
among nations, communities,
and families who are in conflict.

We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For all the newly baptized: (pause)
that their faith may continue to grow and that they may generously offer loving service
to those in need.

We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For the grace of reconciliation:
(pause)
that God will help us to turn from selfishness,
forgive those who have injured us
and be instruments of reconciliation in our society.

We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For a renewed desire for the sacrament of penance: (pause)
that God will help us recognize the healing and power
that one can experience in the sacrament.

We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For successful distribution of the Covid vaccine, (pause)
that God will guide the delivery of vaccines
to where they are needed
and give strength to all who are administering them.

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:

Generous God plant your precious gift of faith ever deeper in our hearts.
All that we ask, we ask in the name of Jesus our Risen 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