Third Sunday of Lent - Year C

Instruction before the Celebration
At the start of the celebration, the commentator says
Good morning/afternoon/evening, brothers and sisters.
Today/tonight is the Third Sunday of Lent.

Our presider for this celebration is Fr. N.
Let us all stand and unite our hearts, minds and voices as we begin our celebration.

INTRODUCTORY RITES
Entrance
After the people have assembled, accompanied by a song, the presider and the ministers walk towards the sanctuary, reverence the altar and go to their places.

If there is no song, the antiphon is said

Ps 24: 15-16

My eyes are ever fixed on the Lord, for he releases my feet from the snare. O look at me and be merciful, for I am wretched and alone.
or

Ez 36: 23-26

I will prove my holiness through you. I will gather you from the ends of the earth; I will pour clean water on you and wash away all your sins. I will give you a new spirit within you, says the Lord.

Everyone remains standing and makes the sign of the cross, as the presider says
In the name of the Father + and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
The people answer
Amen.

Greeting
Then, the presider, facing the people, extends his hands and greets all present with
The Lord be with you.
The people answer
And also with you.

Introduction to the Celebration
The presider or deacon or other suitable minister may very briefly introduce the Mass of the day in these words
Can we say that not doing anything bad goodness? Can we say that keeping away from the ills of society or from sinful things is enough? Many of us have the notion that we can live content with ourselves, that it is enough not doing bad to others, that it is enough to do penance for our personal sins, that it is enough to have devotions, and that we can go straight to heaven if we do these things. No it is not enough. Jesus teaches us today that unless we bear good fruit unlike the fig tree, we are no better than sinners. Unless we actively do good works that matter, it wouldn’t matter in the end. God is calling us like Moses to save his people – for his people today are still slaves, slaves to dehumanizing poverty, oppression and indignity. We still have a chance to turn our ears to the cries of the poor of Yahweh and do something. We still have time to change.

Act of Penitence
The priest invites the people to recall their sins to repent of them in silence with
My brothers and sisters*,
to prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries,
let us call to mind our sins.
Please kneel.
After the silence, the presider leads the people in saying the Confiteor
I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned through my own fault, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do; and 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 presider then says
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
The people answer
Amen.

Kyrie
The presider says Lord, have mercy.
The people answer Lord, have mercy.
The presider says Christ, have mercy.
The people answer Christ, have mercy.
The presider says Lord, have mercy.
The people answer Lord, have mercy.

The commentator says
Please stand.

Opening Prayer
The presider, with hands joined, sings or says:
Let us pray.
Everyone pray silently for a while. Then, the presider extends his hands and says or sings
Father, you have taught us to overcome our sins by prayer, fasting and works of mercy. When we are discouraged by our weakness, give us confidence in your love. 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.
or
God of all compassion, Father of all goodness, to heal the wounds our sins and selfishness bring upon us you bid us to turn to fasting, prayer and sharing with our brothers. We acknowledge our sinfulness, our guilt is ever before us: when our weakness causes discouragement, let your compassion fill us with hope and lead us through a Lent of repentance to the beauty of Easter joy. Grant this through Christ our Lord.
The people respond
Amen.

LITURGY OF THE WORD
Introduction to Reading I
The commentator says
In his mercy and his desire to offer Israel salvation, God called Moses to be his instrument in saving his people and to draw the Israelites back to God and into the covenant.

Reading I Ex 3:1-8a, 13-15
The lector proceeds with the proclamation.
A reading from the book of Exodus.
A short pause follows. Then, the lector continues with the reading.
Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro,
the priest of Midian.
Leading the flock across the desert, he came to Horeb,
the mountain of God.
There an angel of the LORD appeared to Moses in fire
flaming out of a bush.
As he looked on, he was surprised to see that the bush,
though on fire, was not consumed.
So Moses decided,
“I must go over to look at this remarkable sight,
and see why the bush is not burned.”

When the LORD saw him coming over to look at it more closely,
God called out to him from the bush, “Moses! Moses!”
He answered, “Here I am.”
God said, “Come no nearer!
Remove the sandals from your feet,
for the place where you stand is holy ground.
I am the God of your fathers,” he continued,
“the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.”
Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
But the LORD said,
“I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt
and have heard their cry of complaint against their slave drivers,
so I know well what they are suffering.
Therefore I have come down to rescue them
from the hands of the Egyptians
and lead them out of that land into a good and spacious land,
a land flowing with milk and honey.”

Moses said to God, “But when I go to the Israelites
and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’
if they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what am I to tell them?”
God replied, “I am who am.”
Then he added, “This is what you shall tell the Israelites:
I AM sent me to you.”

God spoke further to Moses, “Thus shall you say to the Israelites:
The LORD, the God of your fathers,
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob,
has sent me to you.

“This is my name forever;
thus am I to be remembered through all generations.”
A short pause follows. Then, the Lector ends the reading with
The Word of the Lord.
The people answer
Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 103: 1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8, 11
The lector says
The Lord is kind and merciful.
All say
The Lord is kind and merciful.
The lector says
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
All say
The Lord is kind and merciful.
The lector says
He pardons all your iniquities,
heals all your ills,
He redeems your life from destruction,
crowns you with kindness and compassion.
All say
The Lord is kind and merciful.
The lector says
The LORD secures justice
and the rights of all the oppressed.
He has made known his ways to Moses,
and his deeds to the children of Israel.
All say
The Lord is kind and merciful.
The lector says
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
All say
The Lord is kind and merciful.

Introduction to Reading II
The commentator says
When we sin and we do not do what God expects of us, he is displeased.
But he always gives us the chance to rise again from our sin and the good we failed to do.

Reading II 1 Cor 10:1-6, 10-12
The Lector proceeds with the proclamation.
A reading from the first letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians.
A short pause follows. Then, the lector continues with the reading.
I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters,
that our ancestors were all under the cloud
and all passed through the sea,
and all of them were baptized into Moses
in the cloud and in the sea.
All ate the same spiritual food,
and all drank the same spiritual drink,
for they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them,
and the rock was the Christ.
Yet God was not pleased with most of them,
for they were struck down in the desert.

These things happened as examples for us,
so that we might not desire evil things, as they did.
Do not grumble as some of them did,
and suffered death by the destroyer.
These things happened to them as an example,
and they have been written down as a warning to us,
upon whom the end of the ages has come.
Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure
should take care not to fall.
A short pause follows. Then, the Lector ends the reading with
The Word of the Lord.
The people answer
Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation
The commentator signals the people for the gospel
Let us honor the Holy Gospel.
The music ministry leads the people in singing the appropriate song. The priest/deacon carries the Gospel Book to the Ambo.

Gospel Lk 13:1-9
The deacon/priest says or sings
The Lord be with you.
The people answer
And also with you.
The deacon/priest says or sings
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke.
The people answer
Glory to you, Lord.
All make the gospel sign. If incense is used, the proclaimer incenses the book of gospels.
The gospel is proclaimed.
Some people told Jesus about the Galileans
whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.
Jesus said to them in reply,
“Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way
they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!
Or those eighteen people who were killed
when the tower at Siloam fell on them—
do you think they were more guilty
than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!”

And he told them this parable:
“There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard,
and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none,
he said to the gardener,
‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree
but have found none.
So cut it down.
Why should it exhaust the soil?’
He said to him in reply,
‘Sir, leave it for this year also,
and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it;
it may bear fruit in the future.
If not you can cut it down.’”
A short pause follows. The deacon/priest ends the proclamation with
The Gospel of the Lord.
The people answer
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily
The presider or the homilist gives the homily.

Profession of Faith
The presider from the chair initiates the common recitation of the creed.
I 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
The presider gives a brief introduction, then invites the people to pray.
The presider gives a brief introduction, then invites the people to pray.
Let us pray to God our merciful Father to give us the strength to repent and to do good. Let us say: LORD, HAVE MERCY.
The intentions are proclaimed by a deacon, lector or some members of the faithful from the ambo.

1. That the Church may always remain in Christ so that she may bear good fruit, we pray.
2. That the world may turn back to God and that all governments may actively work for the promotion of human dignity, we pray.
3. That those who have more in life help those who suffer from dehumanizing poverty so that all may receive God’s grace through sharing, we pray.
4. That all Christians may not be content with just personal piety and not committing sins, but rather, being active in doing good for those in need, we pray.
5. That our community may be a community of constant conversion and renewal so that we may reach out and do good to members of our own community, we pray.

After the intentions, the presider says the concluding prayer.
Lord, make us return to you with clean hearts and open our hands to your presence in our brothers and sisters. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
The people respond
Amen.

Panalangin ng Bayan
Aanyayahan ng tagapamuno ang lahat na manalangin
Manalangin tayo sa Diyos Ama upang bigyan tayo ng lakas upang magbago at gumawa ng mabuti. Sabihin natin: PANGINOON, KAAWAAN MO KAMI.
Ipahahayag ang mga luhog mula sa Ambo.

1. Upang ang Simbahan ay manatili lagi kay Kristo upang siya ay mamunga nang marami, manalangin tayo.
2. Upang ang lahat ay magbalik sa Diyos at upang magsikap ang lahat ng pamahalaan na magsikap para mabigyan ng pantay na dangal ang lahat, manalangin tayo.
3. Upang tulungan ng mga maykaya ang mga biktima ng kahirapang nagtatanggal ng dangal ng tao, upang lahat ay makinabang sa pagpapala ng Diyos na para naman talaga sa lahat sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigayan, manalangin tayo.
4. Upang lahat ng mga Kristiyano ay hindi maging kontento sa pansariling kabanalan at di paggawa ng kasalanan bagkus lahat nawa ay magsikap na gumawa ng mabuti at makatulong nang bukas-palad sa kapwa, manalangin tayo.
5. Upang ang ating pamayanan ay maging pamayanan ng pagbabagong-loob at pagpapanibago upang lahat tayo ay magtulungan at magbigayan, manalangin tayo.

Pagkatapos ng mga luhog, sasabihin ng tagapamuno.
Panginoon, dulutin mong magbalik kami sa iyo nang may malinis na puso at bukas na palad para sa iyong pag-iral sa aming kapwa. Hinihiling namin ito sa PAMAMAGITAN ni Kristong aming Panginoon.
Tutugon ang lahat
Amen.

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
Prayer over the Gifts
Standing at the center of the altar, facing the people, the presider extends and then joins his hands, saying
Pray, brethren*,
that our sacrifice may be acceptable to God,
the almighty Father.
The people respond
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.
With hands extended, the presider says
Lord, by the grace of this sacrifice may we who ask forgiveness be ready to forgive one another. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.
The people answer
Amen.

Eucharistic Prayer
Presider: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Presider: Lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them up to the Lord.
Presider: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is right to give him thanks and praise.

Preface for Lent II
Eucharistic Prayer for Reconciliation I

Communion Rite

Communion
If there is no song, the antiphon is said

Ps 83:4-5

The sparrow even finds a home, the swallow finds a nest wherein to place her young, near your altars, Lord of hosts, my King, my God! How happy they who dwell in your house! For ever they are praising you.

Prayer after Communion
Then, standing at the chair or at the altar, the presider says or sings
Let us pray.
Everyone prays in silence for a while. Then, the presider extends his hands and sings or says
Lord, in sharing this sacrament may we receive your forgiveness and be brought together in unity and peace. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
The people respond
Amen.

CONCLUDING RITE
Greeting
Facing the people, the presider extends his hands and sings or says
The Lord be with you.
The people answer
And also with you.

Solemn Blessing
The deacon/presider says
Bow your heads and pray for God’s blessing.
The presider extends his hands over the people while he says:
The Father of mercies has given us an example of unselfish love in the sufferings of his only Son. Through your service of God and neighbor may you receive his countless blessings.
The people answer
Amen.
The presider extends his hands over the people while he says:
You believe that by his dying Christ destroyed death for ever. May he give you everlasting life.
The people answer
Amen.
The presider extends his hands over the people while he says:
He humbled himself for our sakes. May you follow his example and share his resurrection.
The people answer
Amen.

Blessing
The presider blesses the people with these words
May almighty God bless you,
the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.
The people answer
Amen.

Dismissal
The deacon or presider says
Go in peace.
The people answer
Thanks be to God.