Thurs, 12/11/08, 2nd Week of Advent

Entrance Antiphon (stand)
Lord, you are near, and all your commandments are just; long have I known that you decreed them for ever. (Ps 118:151-152)
Opening Prayer
Almighty Father, give us the joy of your love to prepare the way for Christ our Lord. Help us to serve you and one another. 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.
Liturgy of the Word
Reading 1(Is 41:13-20)
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.
I am the LORD, your God, who grasp your right hand; It is I who say to you, “Fear not, I will help you.” Fear not, O worm Jacob, O maggot Israel; I will help you, says the LORD; your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. I will make of you a threshing sledge, sharp, new, and double-edged, To thresh the mountains and crush them, to make the hills like chaff. When you winnow them, the wind shall carry them off and the storm shall scatter them. But you shall rejoice in the LORD, and glory in the Holy One of Israel. The afflicted and the needy seek water in vain, their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will open up rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the broad valleys; I will turn the desert into a marshland, and the dry ground into springs of water. I will plant in the desert the cedar, acacia, myrtle, and olive; I will set in the wasteland the cypress, together with the plane tree and the pine, That all may see and know, observe and understand, That the hand of the LORD has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it. The word of the LORD.
Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm (Ps 145:1 and 9, 10-11, 12-13ab)
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
I will extol you, O my God and King, and I will bless your name forever and ever. The LORD is good to all and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD, and let your faithful ones bless you. Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom and speak of your might.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
Let them make known to men your might and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom. Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages, and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
Alleluia, alleluia (Is 45:8)
Let the clouds rain down the Just One, and the earth bring forth a Savior.
Alleluia, alleluia
Gospel (Mt 11:11-15)
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
A reading from the holy gospel according to Matthew. Glory to you, Lord.
Jesus said to the crowds: “Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent are taking it by force. All the prophets and the law prophesied up to the time of John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, the one who is to come. Whoever has ears ought to hear.” The gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord, Jesus Christ.
Homily
Profession of Faith
We believe …
General Intercessions
Liturgy of the Eucharist
Preparation of the Altar and Gifts
Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation…
Blessed be God forever.
Blessed be God forever.
Pray, brethren...
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
Pray brethren…
Father, from all you give us we present this bread and wine. As we serve you now, accept our offering and sustain us with your promise of eternal life.
Amen.
Eucharistic Prayer
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give him thanks and praise.
Preface
Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord. When he humbled himself to come among us as a man, he fulfilled the plan you formed long ago and opened for us the way to salvation. Now we watch for the day, hoping that the salvation promised us will be ours when Christ our Lord will come again in his glory. And so, with all the choirs of angels in heaven we proclaim your glory and join in their unending hymn of praise:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, 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
Let us proclaim the mystery of faith:
Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
Dying you destroyed our death, rising you restored our life, Lord Jesus, come in glory.
When we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim your death, Lord Jesus, until you come in glory.
Lord, by your cross and resurrection you have set us free. You are the Savior of the world.
Communion Rite
Lord’s Prayer
Our Father…
…for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and for ever.
Breaking of the Bread
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.
Communion
This is the Lamb of God…
Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.
Communion Antiphon
Let our lives be honest and holy in this present age, as we wait for the happiness to come when our great God reveals himself in glory. (Ti 2:12-13)
Prayer after Communion
Let us pray.
Father, may our communion teach us to love heaven. May its promise and hope guide our way on earth. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen
Concluding Rite
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Amen
Thanks be to God.
http://www.usccb.org/nab/121108.shtml
Vatican ll Weekday Missal, Pauline Books & Media www.pauline.org
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