The Presider’s Page for Sundays. Suggested introduction to the Mass; prayers of the Faithful. Also, Resources for Weekdays and Sundays (the Readings plus homily ideas).
Even though Easter Week is now behind us, today’s liturgy is still filled with Jesus’ resurrection. We continue to celebrate that great event for the next six weeks, until Pentecost Sundayon the last day of May, the fiftieth and final day of Easter.
This Easter morning we gather for a most unusual Easter celebration. Pandemic threatens to overwhelm, yet the Church insistently proclaims: Christ is risen! We still celebrate the central mystery of our faith, the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. He suffered on the cross and died for us, but now he has conquered death and fear! Filled with the spirit of Easter joy, let us proclaim the might and glory of God at this celebration!
This year millions of us are locked in our homes. We are not going out to work, not going out to play, going nowhere to socialise. It is a bit like a big blank space, a shapeless empty time between BTV (‘Before the Virus’) a few weeks ago (aka ‘normality’) and ATV (‘After the Virus’) . . .
Disciples not only pray for one another, but seek to present the needs of suffering humanity before the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. Here is a set of intercessions specially for this coronavirus year…
The liturgy that begins this Tursday evening continues until we reach Easter. We are at the start of a three-day celebration of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. We journey from the Last Supper to Gethsemane tonight, from there to Calvary tomorrow, and from the tomb to resurrection and new life at the Vigil of Easter Sunday.
This is not a ‘normal‘ Holy Thursday, but we may have discovered new aspects of our discipleship – and recovered long-forgotten parts of our tradition – through celebrating in this very unusual way.
If you are in lockdown this Holy Thursday and Good Friday., you or someone with you will have to act as a leader in prayer if you are to actually celebrate – which is more than tuning in to a celebration – these great days.
Today’s liturgy gives us a preview of the events of Holy Week. The passion, death and resurrection of Jesus are the focus of this and every Sunday celebration.
Even at this late stage, a message from the Irish Episcopal Conference would be a great help to laity and clergy alike. It would also be picked up by the media and could provide a spiritual uplift for many.
In under a fortnight’s time, the Easter Triduum will begin, on Holy Thursday evening. It will be a Triduum like no other, with no public celebrations because of the Coronavurus pandemic. But in our own homes, each of us can recall the great events that Easter remembers. We ask God’s help in the last 10 days of Lent.
Traditionally, this Sunday is called Laetare Sunday, which means ‘a day for joy’ — although few will feel much joy this year, as the COV-19 epidemic draws ever nearer. But at this midpoint of Lent, it is traditional to honour mothers, treasuring those still with us and praying for those we have lost to death.
In the heart of Lent, we keep the feast of Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. We mark the day by praising God the creator, who sustained Patrick in good times and bad, and who will sustain the Irish even in the face of coronavirus.
Today’s readings about water and thirst remind us that this is a baptismal season. The holy water of baptism blesses and protects the faithful in every danger, even as the threat of the coronavirus bears down upon our world.
Now that we are ten days into the season of Lent, our goal is clarified in today’s liturgy. The Gospel of the Transfiguration reminds us that we are destined for glory. Like the disciples, we keep this glimpse of glory in our hearts in the dark days ahead. Resurection will follow, as surely as day follows night.
I find the section with Cemetery Prayers most useful on a rainy day, to avoid rain falling on the Funeral book.
We celebrate the first Sunday of Lent. All over the world today, men and women are beginning a period of preparation for their baptism at the Easter Vigil. Like them, we spend Lent preparing to renew our baptismal vows at Easter, looking forward to our blessing with Easter water and to receiving the gift of a new start.
Loving the enemy and praying for those who make life difficult are two marks of a Christian, or so Jesus teaches us today. We gather, aware of how difficult love can be, yet united by the saving mercy of God, on which we rely.
Today’s readings ask for decisions, challenging Christians to choose the right path. We gather to worship God, who can help us in all our choices.
Over these Sundays, we listen to what Jesus taught in his Sermon on the Mount. In today’s liturgy, we hear that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Rejoicing in this calling, we praise God who sustains us all our days.
It’s forty days since we celebrated the birth of Jesus at Christmas. Today we remember his Presentation in the Temple. This feast is also called Candlemas; candles are blessed because today Jesus was revealed in the Temple as the light of all peoples.
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