(Make the sign of the cross, saying:)

God, come to my assistance,
Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen

ANT: From him, through him, and in him all things exist; glory to him for ever, alleluia.

Psalm 125 (124)
Those who put their trust in the Lord
are like Mount Zion, that cannot be shaken,
that stands for ever.

Jerusalem! The mountains surround her,
so the Lord surrounds his people both now and for ever.

For the scepter of the wicked shall not rest over the land of the just
for fear that the hands of the just should turn to evil.

Do good, Lord, to those who are good,
to the upright of heart;
but the crooked and those who do evil,
drive them away!

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

ANT: From him, through him, and in him all things exist; glory to him for ever, alleluia.

[Pause and reflect on the previous psalm.]

ANT: Your sorrow will be turned into joy, alleluia.

Psalm 126 (125)
When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage,
it seemed like a dream.
Then was our mouth filled with laughter,
on our lips there were songs.

The heathens themselves said, "What marvels the Lord worked for them!"
What marvels the Lord worked for us!
Indeed we were glad.

Deliver us, O Lord, from our bondage
as streams in dry land.
Those who are sowing in tears
will sing when they reap.

They go out, they go out, full of tears,
carrying seed for the sowing;
they come back, they come back, full of song,
carrying their sheaves.

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

ANT: Your sorrow will be turned into joy, alleluia.

[Pause and reflect on the previous psalm.]

READING (Hebrews 7:24-27)
Jesus, because he remains forever, has a priesthood that does not pass away. Therefore he is always able to save those who approach God through him, since he forever lives to make intercession for them. It was fitting that we should have such a high priest: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, higher than the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he has no need to offer sacrifice day after day, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; he did that once for all when he offered himself.

[Reflect on the Reading, applying it to your life today.]

ANT: All that the Father gives me will come to me; whoever comes to me I shall not turn away, alleluia.

CANTICLE OF MARY (Lk 1:46-55)
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed;
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.

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

ANT: All that the Father gives me will come to me; whoever comes to me I shall not turn away, alleluia.

INTERCESSIONS
Lord Jesus move our hearts to complete repentance for our sins, that we may walk in newness of life.

Under the guidance of the shepherds of the Church, keep us faithful to the laws of God and the laws of the Church.

Remember the lonely, the orphaned and the widowed, and do not abandon those who have been reconciled with you by the death of your Son.

Lord Jesus, welcome our deceased brothers and sisters who in faith and love hoped for the vision of your glory.

(Pray for your special intentions.)

OUR FATHER
And now we pray to God the Father in the words that Jesus taught us.

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, and the power, and the glory for ever and ever. Amen

PRAYER
God of mercy, you have filled us with the hope of resurrection by restoring us to our original dignity. May we who relive this mystery each year come to share it in perpetual love. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen