Liturgical Leaflet for an Active Participation in the Celebration of the Eucharist

4 March 2012

2nd Sunday of Lent

Year B

The Challenge to Bring Out the Best in Us

n this Second Sunday of Lent we are invited to reflect on the message of Jesus transfiguration and apply it to our lives. This event in the life of the Lord is an encouragement to bring out the best that is in us to let our light shine! This will become a reality if we live our lives according to the teaching and example of Jesus.

We are also challenged to remain steadfast in our faith even in the midst of trials. The God who gave His only Son for us will surely protect us from all evil and give us all the help we need. Let this Eucharist be a profession of faith in Gods unfailing love for us and a renewal of our commitment to live a luminous life.

INTRODUCTORY RITES
(To be recited only when no Entrance Hymn is sung.)

Entrance Antiphon

Remember your mercies, Lord, your tenderness from ages past. Do not let our enemies triumph over us; O God, deliver Israel from all her distress.

All Lord, have mercy!

ness and his strength. (Pause) P Lord Jesus, in the splendor of the transfiguration you filled your disciples with joy and wonder. Lord, have mercy!

P Lord Jesus, at your transfiguration the Father revealed that you are His beloved Son. Christ, have mercy!
All Christ, have mercy!

Opening Prayer P God our Father, help us to hear your Son. Enlighten us with your word, that we may find the way to your glory. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. All Amen! LITURGY OF THE WORD 1st Reading Gn 22:1-2.9.1013.15-18

Greeting P Praise and thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. May His grace and peace be with you all! All And also with you! Penitential Rite P As we gather to celebrate the wonders of the Lord, let us call to mind our sins and implore his forgive-

P Lord Jesus, your transfiguration was a foreshadowing of your resurrection and ascension. Lord, have mercy!
All Lord, have mercy!

P May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
All Amen!

The sacrifice of Isaac was not just a test of Abrahams faith. It was also a dramatic foreshadowing of the sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary.

R A proclamation 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 Lords 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 harm 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 saw 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 Lords 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. All Thanks be to God!

R. M. Velez

I will

Am7/G

walk be-fore the Lord

in the land of the li-ving!

* I believed, even when I said, I am greatly afflicted. Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones. R. * O Lord, I am your servant; I am 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. R. * 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. R.

The Word of the Lord!

Responsorial Psalm Ps 116 R I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living!

2nd Reading Rom 8:31-34 To those afflicted by tribulations of all sorts, Paul proclaims his unshakable conviction: Gods love for them and all of us is boundless. R A proclamation from the Letter of Paul 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 Gods chosen ones? It is God who acquits us. Who will condemn? Christ Jesus it is who died or, rather, was raised from death who also is at the right hand of God, and who indeed intercedes for us. The Word of the Lord! All Thanks be to God!

GLOSSARY: Moriah: The mountain on which Abraham was expected to offer his son Isaac in sacrifice. According to ancient tradition, Moriah is the hill in Jerusalem where Solomon built the temple. Elijah: The greatest of the early prophets of Israel. He exercised his ministry in the 9th century B.C. He was a strenuous defender of the uniqueness of the Lord against the worship of false gods. Gradually the expectation developed in Israel that Elijah would return immediately before the coming of the Messiah. Son of Man: A messianic title which Jesus used on many occasions, referring to himself. The O.T. background to this title is Dn 7:13. 4 March 2012

C D

Verse before the Gospel All (Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!) From the shining cloud the Fathers voice is heard: This is my beloved Son, listen to him! (Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!) Gospel Mk 9:2-10 In the episode of Jesus transfiguration, we have the revelation of who he is (the Son of God). The voice from the cloud tells us also what our attitude to him should be (Listen to him.). P A proclamation from the holy Gospel according to Mark All Glory to you, Lord! 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 for 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!

Homily Profession of Faith AllI believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day, he rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Amen! Prayer of the Faithful P The splendor of the Transfiguration counteracts and helps us accept the sad reality of the cross in the life of Christ, as well as in ours. Trusting in the unfailing love of the Father for all of us, we say: All Lord, hear our prayer! C For the Church: May she faithfully accomplish her mission to proclaim to all nations that Jesus is the only Savior. Let us pray! R. C For the Holy Father, our Bishop and all other spiritual leaders: May they constantly trust in Gods love even in the midst of affliction and opposition. Let us pray! R. C For those who are undergoing severe trials: May they find in the Lord the source of their consolation and strength. Let us pray! R. C For those who feel confused and uncertain: May they find meaning for their lives in the teaching and life of Jesus. Let us pray! R.

C For all of us: May we live this Lenten season in total availability to do what God wants, in imitation of Abraham and Jesus Christ. Let us pray! R. C Let us pray in silence for our personal intentions. (Pause) Let us pray! R. P God our Father, Source of all strength and consolation, make us faithful to You till death, following the example of Jesus Your Son, who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
All Amen!

heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest!

Acclamation P Let us proclaim the mystery of faith!

All Dying you destroyed our death, rising you restored our life. Lord Jesus, come in glory!

COMMUNION RITE
All Our Father . . .

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST Preparation of the Gifts P Pray, brethren . . . All May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands, for the praise and glory of his name, for our good and the good of all his Church. Prayer over the Gifts P Lord, make us holy. May this Eucharist take away our sins that we may be prepared to celebrate the Resurrection. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. All Amen! Preface of Lent (2nd Sun.) P Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord. On your holy mountain he revealed himself in glory in the presence of his disciples. He had already prepared them for his approaching death. He wanted to teach them, through the Law and the Prophets, that the promised Christ had first to suffer and so come to the glory of his resurrection. In our unending joy we echo on earth the song of the angels in heaven as they praise your glory for ever: All Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,

P Deliver us, Lord . . .

All For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever!

Sign of Peace Breaking of the Bread All Lamb of God . . . Communion P This is the Lord Jesus, the beloved Son of the Father. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Happy are those who are called to his supper. All Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.
(To be recited only when no Communion Hymn is sung.)

Communion Antiphon

This is my Son, my beloved, in whom is all my delight. Listen to him!

Prayer after Communion P Lord, we give thanks for these holy mysteries which bring to us here on earth a share in the life to come, through Christ our Lord. All Amen! CONCLUDING RITE

P The Lord be with you.

All And also with you!

P Bow your heads and pray for Gods blessing. (Pause)

2nd Sunday of Lent (B)

All Amen!

You rejoice in the splendor of the Transfiguration. May the Lord fill you with His light all the days of your life.

The Best Teacher

The world is like an immense learning center in which most of the teaching is done in an informal manner. All of us are learners because all of us have plenty to learn. On the other hand, all of us are also teachers, even if we may not climb the rostrum of a lecture hall and do not follow detailed syllabi and lesson plans. With so many teachers, and surrounded by divergent opinions and schools of thought, many may often feel confused. It need not be so for us, for in making our profession of faith, we acknowledge JESUS CHRIST as our best and most trusted TEACHER. He is the only one who deserves such title. (See Mt 23:10.) He is the teacher given to us by the Father to teach the truths that really matter in life. Jesus, the Teacher of all men, is different from all other teachers. He is different in what he is, in what he teaches, and in the way he teaches it. He is no ordinary teacher because he is no ordinary man. The closest among his disciples were the first to realize it. They had begun to wonder who that man could be who had the power to quell storms and cast out devils. (See Mk 4:31 and 1:27.) In the episode of the transfiguration, the radiant aspect of Jesus whole person revealed the divinity hidden in him, and the voice of the Father confirmed that visual revelation. This is my Son, my beloved. Listen to him! (Mk 9:7). Jesus does not repeat half-assimilated notions. He brings a teaching that is new and vital. Being the only one who knows the Father perfectly, he has come to reveal Him to all men. (See Jn 1:18.) Jesus words are filled with divine wisdom, a wisdom he wants to share with us to make our joy full. (See Jn 16:24.) That is why the Father enjoins his disciples: Listen to him! He is also different from the teachers of his time. They bind up heavy loads on other mens shoulders, while they themselves will not lift a finger to budge them (Mt 23:4). Jesus is a teacher who teaches by example, even before teaching by words. His whole life is his most impressive lesson. Through it and through his preaching, Jesus introduces us to the mysterious wisdom of the cross and injects in us the hope of the Resurrection. His message is essentially one of love and life. It is usually pleasant to hear, but demanding. It requires selflessness and the courage to take up ones cross and carry it patiently after him. This should not scare us away. Jesus, our Teacher, walks ahead of us, burdened with the sin of the whole world. He reminds us that after the suffering of this life, there is a wonderful new life to be enjoyed for ever.

P May the Lord shield you from all evil and lead you into the way of charity and peace.
All Amen!

P May the Lord make you a source of consolation and enlightenment for all those who suffer or feel confused.
All Amen!

P May almighty God bless you: the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All Amen!

P Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

All Thanks be to God!

Realize the greatness of Christs love for you. Meditate on his passion, death, and resurrection.

The New Way of the Cross

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