Call to Worship

While making the sign of the cross:

God, come to our assistance.
Lord, make haste to help us.

Glory to the Father and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning,
is now and will be forever. Amen.

Hymn

At the Cross (1)

At the cross her station keeping,
Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last.

Through her heart, his sorrow sharing,
All his bitter anguish bearing,
Now, at length, the sword has passed.

O, how sad and sore, distressed,
Was that Mother highly blest
Of the sole begotten One!

By the cross with thee to stay;
There with thee to weep and pray,
All I ask of thee to give.

PSALMODY

Psalm 141:1-9

Ant. Like burning incense, O Lord, let my prayer rise up to you.

I have called to you, O Lord; hasten to help me!
Hear my voice when I cry to you.
Let my prayer arise before you like incense,
the raising of my hands like an evening oblation.

Set, O Lord, a guard over my mouth;
keep watch at the door of my lips!
Do not turn my heart to things that are wrong,
to evil deeds with those who are sinners.

Never allow me to share in their feasting.
If the good strike or reprove me, it is kindness;
but let the oil of the wicked not anoint my head.
Let my prayer be ever against their malice.

Their princes were thrown down by the side of the rock:
Then, they understood that my words were kind.
As a millstone is shattered to pieces on the ground,
so their bones were strewn at the mouth of the grave.

To you, Lord God, my eyes are turned:
In you, I take refuge; spare my soul!
From the trap they have laid for me, keep me safe:
keep me from the snares of those who do evil.

Glory to Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning,
is now and will be forever. Amen

Ant. Like burning incense, O Lord, let my prayer rise up to you.

Psalm Prayer

Lord,
From the rising of the sun to its setting,
your name is worthy of all praise.
Let our prayer come like incense before you.
May the lifting up of our hands
be as an evening sacrifice
acceptable to you,
Lord, our God.

Psalm 115

Ant. The blood of Christ washes away all of our sins and makes us worthy to serve the living God.

Not to us, Lord, not to us,
but to your name give glory,
because of your love,
because of your truth.

Why do the nations say,
”Where is their God?”
Our God is in the heavens
and answers to no one.

Their gods are crafted by hand,
mere silver and gold,
with mouths that are mute
and eyes that are blind,
with ears that are deaf
and noses that cannot smell.

Their hands cannot feel,
their feet cannot walk,
their throats are silent.
Their makers, their worshipers
will be just like them.

Let Israel trust God,
their help and shield.
Let the house of Aaron trust God,
their help and shield.
Let all believers trust God,
their help and shield.

The Lord has remembered us
and will bless us,
will bless the house of Israel,
will bless the house of Aaron.
God will bless all believers,
the small and the great.

May God bless you more and more,
bless all of your children.
May you truly be blest
by the maker of heaven and earth.

To the Lord belong the heavens,
to us the earth below!
The dead sing no Hallelujah,
nor do those in the silent ground.
But we will bless you, Lord,
now and for ever, Hallelujah!

Glory to Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning,
is now and will be forever. Amen

Ant. The blood of Christ washes away all of our sins and makes us worthy to serve the living God.

Canticle
Canticle — 1 Peter 2:21-24

Ant. Christ bore our sins in his own body on the cross so that we might die to sin and be alive to all that is good.

Christ suffered for you
and left you an example
to have you follow in his footsteps.

He did no wrong;
no deceit was found in his mouth.
When he was insulted,
he returned no insult.

When he was made to suffer,
he did not counter with threats.
Instead, he delivered himself up
to the One who judges justly.

In his own body,
he brought your sins to the cross
so that all of us, dead to sin,
could live in accord with God’s will.

By his wounds, you were healed.

Ant. Christ bore our sins in his own body on the cross so that we might die to sin and be alive to all that is good.

Reading

A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles
(Acts 13:26-30)

My brothers and sisters, it was to us that this message of salvation was sent forth. The inhabitants of Jerusalem and their rulers failed to recognize him, and in condemning him, they fulfilled the words of the prophets, which we read Sabbath after Sabbath. Even though they found no charge against him which deserved death, they begged Pilate to have him executed. Once they had thus brought about all that had been written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. Yet God raised him from the dead.

The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Take a few moments to reflect on the reading.

Responsory

We worship you, O Christ, and we praise you.
We worship you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your cross, you have redeemed the world.
And we praise you.
Glory to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
We worship you, O Christ, and we praise you.

Gospel Canticle
Canticle of Mary

Luke 1:46-55
Ant. It is written: I will strike the shepherd, and his flock shall be scattered. But when I have risen, I will go before you into Galilee. There you shall see me, says the Lord.

While making the sign of the cross:

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for God has looked with favor on this lowly servant.

From this day, all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is God’s Name.

God has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
God has shown the strength of his arm
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.

God has cast down the mighty from their thrones
and has lifted up the lowly.
God has filled the hungry with good things
and has sent the rich away empty.

God has come to the help of his servant Israel,
for God has remembered the promise of mercy,
the promise made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his children forever.

Glory to Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning,
is now and will be forever. Amen.

Ant. It is written: I will strike the shepherd, and his flock shall be scattered. But when I have risen, I will go before you into Galilee. There you shall see me, says the Lord.

Intercessions

The Savior of humankind by dying destroyed death and by rising again restored life. Let us humbly ask him:
Hear, O Lord, enfold us in your mercy.

Redeemer of the world, give us a greater share of your passion through a deeper spirit of repentance so that we may share the glory of your resurrection.
Cry out for God’s mercy:
Hear, O Lord, enfold us in your mercy.

May your Mother, comfort of the afflicted, protect us. May we console others as you console us.
Cry out for God’s mercy:
Hear, O Lord, enfold us in your mercy.

Look with love on those who suffer because of our indifference. Come to their aid and turn our uncaring hearts to works of justice and charity.
Cry out for God’s mercy:
Hear, O Lord, enfold us in your mercy.

You humbled yourself by being obedient even to accepting death, death on a cross. Give all who serve you the gifts of obedience and patient endurance.
Cry out for God’s mercy:
Hear, O Lord, enfold us in your mercy.

For the sick who have asked us to accompany them with our prayers, that they may experience your merciful and healing touch today.

Please pray aloud the names of those who are sick or in need of healing.

Cry out for God’s mercy:
Hear, O Lord, enfold us in your mercy.
Transform the bodies of the dead to be like your own in glory, and bring us at last into their fellowship.
Cry out for God’s mercy:
Hear, O Lord, enfold us in your mercy. (2)

The Lord’s Prayer

And now let us pray with confidence as Christ our Lord asked:
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.

Closing Prayer

Almighty and ever-living God,
You have given the human race
Jesus Christ, our Savior,
as a model of humility.
He fulfilled your will
by becoming human
and giving his life on the cross.
Help us to bear witness to you
by following his example of suffering
and make us worthy
to share in his resurrection.
We ask this through
our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

Blessing

While making the sign of the cross:

May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil and
bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.

Ave Regina Caelorum(3)

Ave Regina Caelorum,
Ave, Domina Angelorum:
Salve, radix, salve, porta,
Ex qua mundo lux est orta:
Gaude, Virgo gloriosa,
Super omnes speciosa,
Vale, o valde decora,
Et pro nobis Christum exora.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel,
Pray for us.
Sant’Angelo,
Pray for us.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel,
Pray for us.
Sant’Angelo,
Pray for us.

Let us spend this evening in peace.
Thanks be to God.

Credits and Permissions
All text and music are in the public domain
or used with permission:
OneLicense A-726188. All rights reserved.
Unless otherwise stated, all music
is published by OCP or a division of OCP.
Julian Pardo produces all audio.
Michael Aguilar, Jr. produces all videos.

1. Lyrics: Jacopone, da Todi.
   Translation: Edward Caswall (1849).
   Music: STABAT MATER (Mainz).
   Vocals: Anna May Rudolph.

2. Text: General Intercessions, Lent.
   Music: Based on Parce Domine; adapted and arranged by Tony Alonso, copyright 2004.
   Vocals: The Carmelites.

3. Text: One of four Marian Antiphons, dating at least to the 12th century. It is traditionally sung at the end of Compline from the Feast of the Lord's Presentation (Feb. 2) until Wednesday in Holy Week.
   Vocals: The Carmelites