opening song Click for audio
The Introductory Rites
Priest: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen.
Priest: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit
be with you all.
All: And with your spirit.
Penitential Rite will have a form of a reflection led by the celebrant and will be followed by the Act of Sorrow
O my God, I thank you for loving me.
I am sorry for all my sins,
for not loving others and not loving you.
Help me to live like Jesus
and not sin again. Amensinging Give Glory to God in the highest Click for audio
Opening prayer will differ from service to service.
The Congregation responds to the prayer: Amen.
The Liturgy of the Word
The minister of the Word: A reading from the book of Deuteronomy
Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands.
Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors.
He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
The minister of the Word: The Word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation Click for audio
The Congregation stands up to greet the Gospel.
Gospel
Priest: The Lord be with you.
All: And with your spirit.
Priest: A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
All: Glory to you, O Lord.
We make a sign of the cross on our foreheads, lips and hearts.
Jesus said to them “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.”
For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me.
Priest: The Gospel of the Lord.
All: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Homily
Prayer of the Faithful
The Liturgy of the Eucharist
Offertory Procession and dressing of the altar Click for audio
EUCHARISTIC PRAYER FOR CHILDREN 2
Preface Dialogue
Priest: The Lord be with you.
All: And with your spirit.
Priest: Lift up your hearts.
All: We lift them up to the Lord.
Priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
All: It is right and just.
Priest: God, our loving Father, we are glad to give you thanks and praise because you love us. With Jesus we sing your praise:
All: Glory to God in the highest.
Priest: Because you love us, you gave us this great and beautiful world. With Jesus we sing your praise:
All: Glory to God in the highest.
Priest: Because you love us, you sent Jesus your Son to bring us to you and to gather us around him as the children of one family. With Jesus we sing your praise:
All: Glory to God in the highest.
Priest: For such great love, we thank you with the angels and saints as they praise you and say:
All: 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.
Priest: Blessed be Jesus, whom you sent to be the friend of children and of the poor.
He came to show us how we can love you, Father, by loving one another. He came to take away sin, which keeps us from being friends, and hate, which makes us all unhappy.
He promised to send the Holy Spirit, to be with us always so that we can live as your children.
Priest: God our Father, we now ask you to send your Holy Spirit to change these gifts of bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
The night before he died, Jesus your Son showed us how much you love us. When he was at supper with his disciples, he took bread and gave you thanks and praise. Then he broke the bread, gave it to his friends, and said:
Take this, all of you, and eat of it:
For this is my body which will be given up for you.
Priest: When supper was ended, Jesus took the cup that was filled with wine. He thanked you, gave it to his friends, and said:
Take this, all of you, and drink from it:
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.
Priest: Then he said to them: do this in memory of me.
All: When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your death, O Lord, until you come again.
Priest: And so, loving Father, we remember that Jesus died and rose again to save the world. He put himself into our hands to be the sacrifice we offer you.
All: We praise you, we bless you, we thank you.
Priest: Lord our God listen to our prayer. Send the Holy Spirit to all of us who share in this meal. May this Spirit bring us closer together in the family of the Church, with {Frances}, our Pope, {name of local bishop}, our bishop, all other bishops, and all who serve your people.
All: We praise you, we bless you, we thank you.
Priest: Remember, Father, our families and friends (…), and all those we do not love as we should. Remember those who have died (…). Bring them home to you to be with you for ever.
All: We praise you, we bless you, we thank you.
Priest: Gather us all together into your kingdom. There we shall be happy for ever with the Virgin Mary, Mother of God and our mother. There all the friends of Jesus the Lord will sing a song of joy.
All: We praise you, we bless you, we thank you.
Priest: Through him and with him, and in him, O God almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honour is yours, for ever and ever.
All: Amen!
The Communion Rite
All:
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.
Priest: 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 Saviour, Jesus Christ.
All: For the kingdom,
the power and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Priest: Lord Jesus Christ,
who said to your Apostles,
Peace I leave you, my peace I give you,
look not on our sins,
but on the faith of your Church,
and graciously grant her peace and unity
in accordance with your will.
Who live and reign for ever and ever.
All: Amen.
Priest: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
All: And with your spirit.
Priest: Let us offer each other the sign of peace.
And all offer one another a sign, in keeping with local customs, that expresses peace, communion, and charity.
All:
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.
Priest: 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.
All: Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof,
but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.
Prayer before Communion
The children are invited to offer a prayer before Communion.
Lord Jesus, come to me.
Lord Jesus, give me your love.
Lord Jesus, come to me and give me Yourself.
Lord Jesus, friend of children, come to me.
Lord Jesus, You are my Lord and my God
Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.
Communion is distributed by th Eucharistic ministers.
See how to receive Holy Communion for the first time.
Music accompanies receiving the communion
Communion Reflection
Communion Adoration Click for audio
The Concluding Rites
Priest: The Lord be with you.
All: And with your spirit.
Priest: May almighty God bless you:
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen.
Priest: Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.
All: Thanks be to God.
Recessional Hymn led by a cantor Click for audio
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION Celebration 2023
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