Liturgy: Advent Sunday, Year A
Advent Sunday
In the name of the +Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
The Lord be with you
and also with you
To you, my God, I lift my soul, I trust in you; let me never come to shame. Do not let my enemies laugh at me. No one who waits for you is ever put to shame. (Psalm 24:1-3)
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we gather here this morning at the start of a new church year to offer this holy sacrifice to Almighty God, our heavenly Father, praying for the life, work and witness of this parish.
Today begins the season of Advent: a season of preparation, both practical and spiritual.
Over the next few weeks we will ponder the foretelling words of the Prophets and the Patriarchs, John the Baptist and indeed Our Blessed Lady and respond to the still small voice crying in the wilderness.
Advent Wreath
Blessed are you, Sovereign Lord, God of our ancestors, to you be praise and glory for ever! You called the patriarchs to live by the light of faith and to journey in the hope of your promised fulfilment. May we be obedient to your call and be ready and watchful to receive your Christ a lamp to our feet and a light to our path; for you are our light and our salvation.
Blessed be God for ever.
Priest:
God of Abraham and Sarah, and all the patriarchs of old, you are our Father too. Your love is revealed to us in Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of David. Help us in preparing to celebrate his birth to make our hearts ready for your Holy Spirit to make his home among us. We ask this through Jesus Christ, the Light who is coming into the world.
All:
Lord Jesus, Light of the world, born in David’s city of Bethlehem, born like him to be a king: Be born in our hearts this Christmas-tide, be king of our lives today.
Penitential Rite
This is a season which calls us to repentance and as we come to this holy ground we recognise the sins which separate us from God and neighbour, and we are moved to turn away from our sin…
God of mercy, we acknowledge that we are all sinners.
We turn from the wrong that we have thought and said and done, and are mindful of all that we have failed to do.
For the sake of Jesus, who died for us, forgive us for all that is past, and help us to live each day in the light of Christ our Lord. Amen
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy
Almighty God,
who forgives all who truly repent,
have mercy upon you,
+ pardon and deliver you from all your sins,
confirm and strengthen you in all goodness,
and keep you in life eternal;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
No Gloria in Advent
The Collect
Let us pray
Almighty God,
give us grace to cast away the works of darkness
and to put on the armour of light,
now in the time of this mortal life,
in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility;
that on the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty
to judge the living and the dead,
we may rise to the life immortal;
through him who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
Isaiah 2: 2-5
A reading from the Prophet Isaiah
This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: In the last days the mountain of the LORD’S temple will be established
as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war any more. Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD.”
This is the word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Romans 13: 11-14
A reading from Paul’s letter to the Romans
Brothers and sisters, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of light; let us live honourably as in the day, not in revelling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
This is the word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Matthew 24: 36-44
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew
Glory to you, O Lord
Jesus said: “No-one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
This is the Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you, O Christ
Creed
Brothers and sisters, I ask you to profess our common faith in Jesus Christ.
Do you believe and trust in God the Father,
source of all being and life,
the one for whom we exist?
I believe and trust in him.
Do you believe and trust in God the Son,
who took our human nature,
died for us and rose again?
I believe and trust in him.
Do you believe and trust in God the Holy Spirit,
who gives life to the people of God
and makes Christ known in the world?
I believe and trust in him.
This is the faith of the Church.
This is our faith.
We believe and trust in one God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The Peace
In the tender mercy of our God,
the dayspring from on high shall break upon us,
to give light to those who dwell in darkness
and in the shadow of death
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
cf Luke 1.78,79
The peace of the Lord be always with you
and also with you
Let us offer one another a sign of peace
Pray, my brothers and sisters, that this our sacrifice may be acceptable to God the almighty Father.
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
Accept, we pray, O Lord, these offerings we make,
gathered from among your gifts to us,
and may what you grant us to celebrate devoutly here below,
gain for us the prize of eternal redemption.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Preface
The Lord be with you
and also with you
Lift up your hearts
We lift them to the Lord
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God
It is right to give thanks and praise
It is indeed right and good to give you thanks and praise,
almighty God and everlasting Father,
| through Jesus Christ your Son.
For when he humbled himself to come among us in human flesh,
he fulfilled the plan you formed before the foundation of the world
| to open for us the way of salvation.
Confident that your promise will be fulfilled,
we now watch for the day
| when Christ our Lord will come again in glory.
And so we join our voices with angels and archangels
and with all the company of heaven
| to proclaim your glory,
for ever praising you and singing:
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 B
Lord, you are holy indeed, the source of all holiness;
grant that by the power of your Holy Spirit,
and according to your holy will,
these gifts of bread and wine
may be to us the +body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ;
who, in the same night that he was betrayed,
took bread and gave you thanks;
he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take, eat; this is my body
which is given for you;
do this in remembrance of me.
In the same way, after supper
he took the cup and gave you thanks;
he gave it to them, saying:
Drink this, all of you;
this is my blood of the new covenant,
which is shed for you and for all
for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it,
in remembrance of me.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus:
Dying you destroyed our death,
rising you restored our life:
Lord Jesus, come in glory.
And so, Father, calling to mind his death on the cross,
his perfect sacrifice made once for the sins of the whole world;
rejoicing in his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension,
and looking for his coming in glory,
we celebrate this memorial of our redemption.
As we offer you this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving,
we bring before you this bread and this cup
and we thank you for counting us worthy
to stand in your presence and serve you.
Send the Holy Spirit on your people
and gather into one in your kingdom
all who share this one bread and one cup,
so that we, in the company of
Our Blesséd Lady, St. Anne, St. Cecilia, St Edward,
and all the saints,
may praise and glorify you for ever,
through Jesus Christ our Lord;
by whom, and with whom, and in whom,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all honour and glory be yours, almighty Father,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Lord’s Prayer
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.
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
We break this bread
to share in the body of Christ
Though we are many, we are one body,
because we all share the one bread
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, grant us peace
Come not because you are strong,
but because you are weak.
Come not because any goodness of your own
but because you need mercy and help.
Come because you love the Lord a little
and would like to love him more.
Come because he loves you
and gave his life for you.
This is the lamb of God
who takes away the sin of the world.
Blesséd are those who are called to his supper
Lord I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.
Communion Antiphon
The Lord will shower his gifts, and our land will yield its fruit. (Psalm 84:13)
Post Communion
O Lord our God, make us watchful and keep us faithful as we await the coming of your Son our Lord; that, when he shall appear, he may not find us sleeping in sin but active in his service and joyful in his praise; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Notices
Blessing
The Lord be with you
And also with you
Bow your heads and pray for God’s blessing
You believe that the Son of God once came to us;
you look for him to come again.
May his coming bring you the light of his holiness
and his blessing bring you freedom. Amen.
May God make you steadfast in faith,
joyful in hope, and untiring in love
all the days of your life. Amen.
You rejoice that our Redeemer came to live with us as man.
When he comes again in glory,
may he reward you with endless life. Amen.
and the blessing of God almighty,
the +Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.
Amen.
The mass is ended. Go in the peace of Christ.
Thanks be to God.
