4th Sunday of Easter C. GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY
MASS PRAYERS AND READINGS.
ENTRANCE ANTIPHON
The merciful love of the Lord fills the earth; by the word of the Lord the heavens were made, alleluia.
[–» Greeting]
In the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
R. And with your spirit.
PENITENCIAL RITE
Brothers and sisters, let us acknowledge our sins, and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.
After the silence, all pray
I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, They strike their breast:
through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.
The priest says the absolution
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
The people answer:
Amen.
The priest invites all to repent of their sins. A pause for silent reflection follows:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
The Gloria in excelsis (Glory to God in the highest) is said.
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 Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
COLLECT
Almighty ever-living God, tend us to a share in the joys of heaven, so that the humble flock may reach where the brave Shepherd has gone before. Who lives and reigns with you.
READINGS FOR YEAR C (2022, 2025, 2028, 2031…)
READING I
Acts 13:14, 43–52
Paul and Barnabas continued on from Perga and reached Antioch in Pisidia. On the sabbath they entered the synagogue and took their seats. Many Jews and worshipers who were converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to remain faithful to the grace of God.
On the following sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and with violent abuse contradicted what Paul said. Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first, but since you reject it and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, I have made you a light to the Gentiles, that you may be an instrument of salvation to the ends of the earth.”
The Gentiles were delighted when they heard this and glorified the word of the Lord. All who were destined for eternal life came to believe, and the word of the Lord continued to spread through the whole region. The Jews, however, incited the women of prominence who were worshipers and the leading men of the city, stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their territory. So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them, and went to Iconium. The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
R. We are his people, the sheep of his flock.
Or: Alleluia.
Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands;
serve the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
R.
Know that the Lord is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.
R.
The Lord is good:
his kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.
R.
READING II
Rev 7:9, 14b–17
I, John, had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.
Then one of the elders said to me, “These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
“For this reason they stand before God’s throne and worship him day and night in his temple. The one who sits on the throne will shelter them. They will not hunger or thirst anymore, nor will the sun or any heat strike them. For the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
ALLELUIA
I am the good shepherd, says the Lord; I know my sheep, and mine know me.
GOSPEL
Jn 10:27–30
Jesus said: “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”
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The Creed is said.
[–» Creed, Universal Prayer]
[–» Offertory]
Apostle’s Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, [at the words that follow, up to and including the Virgin Mary, all bow]
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come 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 life everlasting. Amen.
Universal Prayer
Priest’s Introduction
Dear brothers and sisters, filled with paschal joy, let us pray more earnestly to God that he, who graciously listened to the prayers and supplications of his beloved Son, may now be pleased to look upon us in our lowliness.
Intentions
- For the shepherds of our souls, that they may have the strength to govern wisely the flock entrusted to them by the Good Shepherd, let us pray to the Lord.
- For the whole world, that it may truly know the peace given by Christ, let us pray to the Lord.
- For our brothers and sisters who suffer, that their sorrow may be turned to gladness which no one can take from them, let us pray to the Lord.
- For our own community, that it may bear witness with great confidence to the Resurrection of Christ, let us pray to the Lord.
Priest’s Prayer
O God, who know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the desires of those who cry to you; and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
PREPARATION OF THE GIFTS
Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received the bread we offer you: fruit of the earth and work of human hands, it will become for us the bread of life.
–Blessed be God forever.
Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received the wine we offer you: fruit of the vine and work of human hands it will become our spiritual drink
– Blessed be God forever.
(ALL STAND)
Pray, brethren [brothers and sisters], that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father.
The people answer:
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 OFFERINGS
Grant, we pray, O Lord, that we may always find delight in these paschal mysteries, so that the renewal constantly at work within us may be the cause of our unending joy. Through Christ our Lord.
[–» Eucharistic Prayer]
[–» Preface of Easter]
PREFACE OF EASTER I
The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right and just.
It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, at all times to acclaim you, O Lord, but on this day above all to laud you yet more gloriously, when Christ our Passover has been sacrificed.
For he is the true Lamb who has taken away the sins of the world; by dying he has destroyed our death, and by rising restored our life. And so, overcome with paschal joy, every land, every people exults in your praise and even the heavenly Powers, with the angelic hosts, sing together the unending hymn of your glory as they acclaim:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of hosts,
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.
EUCHARISTIC PRAYER III
You are indeed Holy, O Lord, and all you have created rightly gives you praise, for through your Son our Lord Jesus Christ, by the power and working of the Holy Spirit, you give life to all things and make them holy, and you never cease to gather a people to yourself, so that from the rising of the sun to its setting a pure sacrifice may be offered to your name.
(ALL KNEEL)
Therefore, O Lord, we humbly implore you: by the same Spirit graciously make holy these gifts we have brought to you for consecration, that they may become the Body and † Blood of your Son our Lord Jesus Christ, at whose command we celebrate these mysteries.
For on the night he was betrayed he himself took bread, and giving you thanks he said the blessing, broke the bread and gave it to his disciples, saying:
TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND EAT OF IT, FOR THIS IS MY BODY, WHICH WILL BE GIVEN UP FOR YOU.
In a similar way, when supper was ended, he took the chalice, and giving you thanks he said the blessing, and gave the chalice to his disciples, saying:
TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND DRINK FROM IT, FOR THIS IS THE CHALICE OF MY BLOOD, THE BLOOD OF THE NEW AND ETERNAL COVENANT, WHICH WILL BE POURED OUT FOR YOU AND FOR MANY FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS.
DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME.
The mystery of faith.
We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.
Therefore, O Lord, as we celebrate the memorial of the saving Passion of your Son, his wondrous Resurrection and Ascension into heaven, and as we look forward to his second coming, we offer you in thanksgiving this holy and living sacrifice.
Look, we pray, upon the oblation of your Church and, recognizing the sacrificial Victim by whose death you willed to reconcile us to yourself, grant that we, who are nourished by the Body and Blood of your Son and filled with his Holy Spirit, may become one body, one spirit in Christ.
May he make of us an eternal offering to you, so that we may obtain an inheritance with your elect, especially with the most blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with your blessed Apostles and glorious Martyrs [with Saint N: the Saint of the day or Patron Saint] and with all the Saints, on whose constant intercession in your presence we rely for unfailing help.
May this Sacrifice of our reconciliation, we pray, O Lord, advance the peace and salvation of all the world. Be pleased to confirm in faith and charity your pilgrim Church on earth, with your servant N. our Pope and [N.] our Bishop, the Order of Bishops, all the clergy, and the entire people you have gained for your own.
Listen graciously to the prayers of this family, whom you have summoned before you: in your compassion, O merciful Father, gather to yourself all your children scattered throughout the earth.
† To our departed brothers and sisters and to all who were pleasing to you at their passing from this life, give kind admittance to your kingdom.
There we hope to enjoy for ever the fullness of your glory through Christ our Lord, through whom you bestow on the world all that is good. †
[–»Through him, and with him…]
When this Eucharistic Prayer is used in Masses for the Dead, the following may be said:
† Remember your servant N. whom you have called [today] from this world to yourself. Grant that he [she] who was united with your Son in a death like his, may also be one with him in his Resurrection, when from the earth he will raise up in the flesh those who have died, and transform our lowly body after the pattern of his own glorious body.
To our departed brothers and sisters, too, and to all who were pleasing to you at their passing from this life, give kind admittance to your kingdom. There we hope to enjoy for ever the fullness of your glory, when you will wipe away every tear from our eyes. For seeing you, our God, as you are, we shall be like you for all the ages and praise you without end, through Christ our Lord, through whom you bestow on the world all that is good. †
[–»Through him, and with him…]
He takes the chalice and the paten with the host and, elevating both, he says:
Through him, and with him, and in him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, for ever and ever.
Amen.
(ALL STAND)
COMMUNION RITE
At the Savior’s command and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say:
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.
Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil, graciously grant peace in our days, that, by the help of your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever.
Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your apostles: I leave you peace, my peace I leave you. Look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church, and graciously grant her peace and unity in accordance to your will, who live and reign for ever and ever. Amen.
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
And with your spirit.
Let us offer each other the sign of peace
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: grant us peace.
Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.
Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.
The Body of Christ.
Amen.
COMMUNION ANTIPHON
The good shepherd has risen, who laid down his life for his sheep, and willingly died for his flock, alleluia.
[–» Communion]
COMMUNION SONGS: POWER OF LOVE
Lord I come to You
Let my heart be changed renewed
Flowing from the grace
That I’ve found in You
Lord I’ve come to know
The weakness I see in me
Will be stripped away
By the power of Your love
chorus
Hold me close let Your love surround me
Bring me near
Draw me to Your side
And as I wait
I’ll rise up like the eagle
And I will soar with You
Your Spirit leads me on
In the power of Your love
Lord unveil my eyes
Let me see You face to face
The knowledge of Your love
As You live in me
Lord renew my mind
As Your will unfolds in my life
In living every day
By the power of Your love (refrain)
SOUL OF CHRIST
Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ save me
Water from the side of Christ
Wash me, Passion of Christ
Give me strength
Chorus:
Hear me Jesus
Hide me in thy wounds
That I may never leave thy side
From all the evil that surrounds me
Defend me and when the call of death arrives
Bid me come to thee
That I may praise thee
With thy saints forever.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Look upon your flock, kind Shepherd, and be pleased to settle in eternal pastures the sheep you have redeemed by the Precious Blood of your Son. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
[–» Concluding Rite]
CONCLUDING RITE
The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit.
The Mass is ended. Go in peace glorifying the Lord by your life.
Thanks be to God.
RECESSIONAL: REGINA COELI
(QUEEN OF HEAVEN)
Regina caeli, laetare, alleluia.
Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia.
Resurrexit, sicut dixit, alleluia.
Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.
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