INVITATORY

Lord, + open my lips.
– And my mouth will proclaim your praise.

Ant. Christ, our Lord, is Redeemer of the world. Come let us adore him.

Psalm 95
A call to praise God

Encourage each other daily while it is still today (Hebrews 3:13).

Come, let us sing to the Lord *
and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us.
Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving *
and sing joyful songs to the Lord.

Ant. Christ, our Lord, is Redeemer of the world. Come let us adore him.

The Lord is God, the mighty God, *
the great king over all the gods.
He holds in his hands the depths of the earth *
and the highest mountains as well.
He made the sea; it belongs to him, *
the dry land, too, for it was formed by his hands.

Ant. Christ, our Lord, is Redeemer of the world. Come let us adore him.

Come, then, let us bow down and worship, *
bending the knee before the Lord, our maker.
For he is our God and we are his people, *
the flock he shepherds.

Ant. Christ, our Lord, is Redeemer of the world. Come let us adore him.

Today, listen to the voice of the Lord: †
Do not grow stubborn, as your fathers did
in the wilderness, *
when at Meriba and Massah
they challenged me and provoked me, *
Although they had seen all of my works.

Ant. Christ, our Lord, is Redeemer of the world. Come let us adore him.

Forty years I endured that generation. *
I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray
and they do not know my ways.”
So I swore in my anger, *
“They shall not enter into my rest.”

Ant. Christ, our Lord, is Redeemer of the world. Come let us adore him.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Christ, our Lord, is Redeemer of the world. Come let us adore him.


OFFICE OF READINGS

HYMN

1. O Christ, Redeemer of mankind,
Creator of our earth,
Light of Light and God of God,
Son of eternal birth!

2. Love forced you to become a man
that pardon you could win,
as second Adam could restore
what Adam lost by sin.

3. That love which of your bounty made 
the earth and sky and sea
had mercy on our parents' fall,
broke bond and set us free.

4. May woundrous love in endless flood
flow from your wounded side;
may nations win your saving grace,
and, Lord, with you abide.

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 He has put all things under his feet, and made him, as the ruler of everything, the head of the Church.

Psalm 8
The majesty of the Lord and man's dignity

The Father gave Christ lordship of creation and made him head of the Church (Ephesians 1:22).

How great is your name, o Lord our God,
through all the earth!

Your majesty is praised above the heavens;
on the lips of children and of babes you have found praise to foil you enemy,
to silence the foe and the rebel.

When I see the heavens, the work of your hands,
the moon and the stars which you arranged,
what is man that you should keep him in mind,
mortal man that you care for him?

Yet you have made him little less than a god;
with glory and honor you crowned him,
gave him power over the works of your hand,
put all things under his feet.

All of them, sheep and cattle,
yes, even the savage beasts, 
birds of the air, and fish
that make their way through the waters.

How great is your name, O LOrd our God,
through all the earth!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. He has put all things under his feet, and made him, as the ruler of everything, the head of the Church.

Psalm prayer
Almighty Lord, how wonderful is your name. You have made every creature subject to you; make us worthy to give you service.


Ant. 2 For my part, I look to the Lord; my hope is in the God who will save me.

Psalm 145
Praise of God's majesty 

                     I

I will give glory, O God my King,
I will bless your name for ever.

I will bless you day after day
and praise your name for ever.
The Lord is great, highly to be praised,
his greatness cannot be measured.

Age to age shall proclaim your works,
shall declare your mighty deeds,
shall speak of your splendor and glory,
tell the tale of your wonderful works.

They will speak of your terrible deeds,
recount your greatness and might.
They will recall your abundant goodness;
age to age shall ring out your justice.

The Lord is kind and full of compassion,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
How good is the Lord to all,
compassionate to all his creatures.

All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord,
and your friends shall repeat their blessing.
They shall speak of the glory of your reign
and declare your might, O God,

to make known to men your mighty deeds
 and the glorious splendor of your reign.
Yours is an everlasting kindom;
your rule lasts from age to age.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. For my part, I look to the Lord; my hope is in the God who will save me.

Ant. 3 They would remeber that God was their rock and their Redeemer.

                             II


The Lord is faithful in all his words
and loving in all his deeds.
The Lord supports all who fall
and raises all who are bowed down.

The eyes of all creatures look to you
and you give them their food in due time.
You open wide your hand,
grant the desire of all who live.

The Lord is just in all his ways
and loving in all his deeds.
He is close to all who call him,
who call on him from their hearts.

He grants the desires of those who fear him,
he hears their cry and je saves them.
The Lord protects all who love him;
but the wicked he will utterly destroy.

Let me speak the praise of the Lord,
let all mankind bless his holy name
for ever, for ages unending.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. They would remeber that God was their rock and their Redeemer.

Psalm prayer
Lord, be near to all who call upon you in truth, and increase the dedication of those who revere you. Hear their prayers and save them, that they may always love you and praise your holy name.

R/. The thoughts of my heart are always before you, O Lord.
—You are my help and my redeemer.


FIRST READING
A Reading from the Prophet Isaiah  35:1-10

He is coming to save you

The desert anf the parched land will exult:
the steppe will rejoice and bloom.
They will bloom with abundant flowers,
and rejoice with joyful song.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to them,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
They will see the glory of the Lord, 
the splendor of our God.
Strengthen the hands that are feeble, 
make firm the knees that are weak.
Say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes to save you.
Then will eyes of the blind be opened,
the ears of the deaf be cleared;
Then will the lame leap like a stag,
then the tongue of the dumb will sing.

Streams will burst forth in the desert,
and rivers in the steppe.
The burning sands will become pools,
and the thirsty ground, springs of water;
The abode where jackals lurk
will be a marsh for the reed and papyrus.
A highway will be there,
called the holy way;
No one unclean may pass over it,
nor fools go astray on it.
No lion will be ther,
nor beast of prey go up to be met upon it.
 It is for those with a journey to make,
and on it the redeemed will walk,
Those whom the Lord has ransomed will return
and enter Zion singing, crowned with everlasting joy,
sorrow and mourning will flee.

RESPONSORY               Ps 78:35; Is 12:2

R/. They would remeber that God was their rock. God the Most High, their Redeemer, my God, my Savior, my salvation, my never failing hope!.
V/. See now! He is the God of my salvation. I have trust now, and no fear, for God is my strength, my song. He is ma Salvation. My God, my Savior..

SECOND READING

A Reading from LUMEN GENTIUM
The Second Vatican Council's Constitution on the Church. 

The mission of Christ

 In wisdom and goodness the eternal Father formed his spontaneous, hidden plan to create the world and raise mankind to an active sharing in his own divine life. Even when man fell, God did not abondon him. In consideration of Christ, the Redeemer, who is the image of the unseen God, and the first-born of all creation, he continued offering to mankind the helps needed for salvation. The Father chose all the elect especially, long ago and intended them to become images of his Son, so that gis Son might be the eldest of many brothers.

So the Son came on earth. He was sent by the Father who, before the world was made, had chosen us and destined us to be his adopted children, sent by the Father who wished - in him - to restore all things.

To carry put his Father's will, Christ established the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, made known to us the Father's secret, and, by his own obedience, brought about our redemption. By God's power the Church - in other words, the Kingdom of Christ already present in mystery - increases in the world in a way that we can see. The blood and water from the side of Christ, were fortold by him, speaking of his death on the cross: When I am lifted up from the earth, I shall draw all men to myself.

Every time we celebrate on our altars the sacrifice of the cross in which Christ our passover, is sacrificed, our redemption is re-enected: at the same time the sacrament of the Eucharist food is the sign and the cause of unity among the faithful, constituing as they do one body in Christ. All men are called to this union with Christ, the light of the world, our origin, our life, our destiny.

The Son of God, having taken a human nature, by his own death and resurrection overcame the power of death, redeemed man, and made him a new creature. Calling together his brothers from every people on earth, he shared with them his Spirit and made them his mystical body. The head of this body is Christ, the image of the unseen God. In him were created all things. Before anything was created, he existed. He holds all things in unity.

The Church is his body from the dead, so that he should be the first in every way. His great power gives him authority over all the forces of heaven and earth, and in virtue of his outstanding perfection and activity he endows his mystical body with all the wealth of his glory.

RESPONSORY           2 Corithians 5:17-19

R/. For anyone who is in Christ, there is now a new creation: the old creation has gone, and now the new one is here. it is all God's work. It was God who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave us the work of handing on this reconciliation.
V/. God, in Christ, was reconciling the world to himself, not holding men's faults against them.

TE DEUM

PRAYER
Eternal Father, to conquer death and bring us back to life you made your only Son Redeemer of mankind. May we ever remember your kindness, cling to you with unfailing love and so enjoy the benefits of your Redemption. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.