Liturgical Leaflet for an Active Participation in the Celebration of the Eucharist

65January 2023
August 2016 First Friday FIRST FRIDAY
Year C

We Are God’s Beloved Children

O n this First Friday of the year 2023 we joyfully gather
to express our love for the Sacred Heart of Jesus
and ask for the Father’s blessing on ourselves, the
people dear to us, and, indeed, the whole of mankind.
Just as Jesus began his apostolic life with an act of humil-
ity and obedience to the Father when he was baptized in the
Jordan, so we renew our allegiance to our heavenly Father
in imitation of Jesus, and ask to be guided by the Holy Spirit
throughout this new year. May the Father say to us today and
always what He said to Jesus at the Jordan: “You are my be-
loved children. With you I am well pleased!”

Entrance Antiphon
(To be recited only when no En-
trance Hymn is sung.)
A light has risen in the
darkness for the upright of
heart; the Lord is generous,
merciful and just.
Greeting
P –The grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the love of God and the
communion of the Holy Spirit be
with you all.
All –And with your spirit!
Penitential Act
P –As we prepare to celebrate
the sacred mysteries on this First
Friday of January, let us call to
mind our sins and humbly ask
God’s forgiveness. (Pause)
P – Lord Jesus, you came to call
sinners to conversion. Lord,
have mercy!
All – Lord, have mercy!
P –Lord Jesus, you are the only
hope of salvation. Christ,
have mercy! 1st Reading 1 Jn 5:5-13
Our salvation hinges on our
All – Christ, have mercy!
faith in Jesus Christ, the incar-
P –Lord Jesus, you are Son nate Son of God and source of
of God and Son of Mary. our eternal life. Today St. John
Lord, have mercy! tells us that this faith rests on
All –Lord, have mercy! God’s witness given at Jesus’
P – May almighty God have baptism and at his death on the
mercy on us, forgive us our sins Cross. There can be no greater
and bring us to everlasting life. witness than this.
All – Amen! R – A proclamation from the
First Letter of John
Collect (Opening Prayer)
Beloved: Who indeed is
P –Cast your kindly light upon the victor over the world but
your faithful, Lord, we pray, and the one who believes that Jesus
with the splendor of your glo- is the Son of God? This is the
ry set their hearts ever aflame, one who came through water
that they may never cease to ac- and Blood, Jesus Christ, not
knowledge their Savior and may by water alone, but by water
truly hold fast to him. and Blood. The Spirit is the one
Who lives and reigns with who testifies, and the Spirit is
you in the unity of the Holy Spir- truth. So there are three that
it, God, for ever and ever. testify: the Spirit, the water,
All –Amen! and the Blood, and the three

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are of one accord. If we accept
human testimony, the testi-
mony of God is surely greater.
Now the testimony of God is
this, that he has testified on
behalf of his Son. Whoever be-
lieves in the Son of God has
this testimony within himself.
Whoever does not believe God
has made him a liar by not be-
lieving the testimony God has
given about his Son. And this
is the testimony: God gave us
eternal life, and this life is in
his Son. Whoever possesses the
Son has life; whoever does not
possess the Son of God does not
have life.
I write these things to you
so that you may know that you
have eternal life, you who be-
lieve in the name of the Son of
God.
The Word of the Lord!
All – Thanks be to God!
Responsorial Psalm Ps 147
R – Praise the Lord, Jerusa-
lem!
* Glorify the Lord, O Je-
rusalem; praise your God, O
Zion. For he has strengthened
the bars of your gates; he has
blessed your children within
you. R.
* He has granted peace in
your borders; with the best of
wheat he fills you. He sends
forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word! R.
* He has proclaimed his
word to Jacob, his statutes and
his ordinances to Israel. He has
not done thus for any other na-
tion; his ordinances he has not
made known to them. R.
Gospel Acclamation Mk 9:6
All –Alleluia! Alleluia!
The heavens were opened
and the voice of the Father
thundered: This is my be-
loved Son. Listen to him.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Gospel Mk 1:7-11
As the time came for Jesus
to begin his apostolic life, he
was introduced to the people in
a most solemn way by the River
Jordan. John the Baptist pro-
claimed that Jesus was much
6 January 2023
more important than he; no less
than God the Father declared
him to be His beloved Son.
P – The Lord be with you!
All – And with your spirit!
P –A proclamation from the
holy Gospel according to
Mark
All –Glory to you, O Lord!
This is what John the Bap-
tist proclaimed: “One might-
ier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and
loosen the thongs of his san-
dals. I have baptized you with
water; he will baptize you with
the Holy Spirit.”
It happened in those days
that Jesus came from Naza-
reth of Galilee and was bap-
tized in the Jordan by John.
On coming up out of the water
he saw the heavens being torn
open and the Spirit, like a dove,
descending upon him. And a
voice came from the heavens,
“You are my beloved Son; with
you I am well pleased.”
The Gospel of the Lord!
All – Praise to you, Lord Jesus
Christ!
Homily
Prayer of the Faithful
P –Jesus is the Son in whom the
Father is well pleased. With hum-
ble faith we entrust to his Sacred
Heart the fruitfulness of this new
year we have just begun. With
confidence we pray together:
All –Sacred Heart of Jesus,
graciously hear us!
C –That the Church may be a
credible witness to the liberating
power of the Gospel and lead all
men to trust in God as the source
of salvation for all, let us pray!R.
C –That the Holy Father, our
bishop, and our priests may ever
more be the trusted leaders who
bring us closer to God and one
another, let us pray! R.
C –That all men and women of
goodwill may come to believe in
Christ and learn to build on him
all their aspirations and plans, let
us pray! R.
C –That all government leaders
may succeed in making this new
year a year of peace and justice
for all, and especially for the
weak and the poor, let us pray!R.
C –That all of us, during this
New Year, may become instru-
ments of healing and solidarity
in our communities, neighbor-
hood, and families, let us pray!
R.
P –Most Sacred Heart of Jesus,
we entrust to you all our plans to
make this New Year the begin-
ning of a new life, character-
ized by peace, cooperation, and
justice. Fill our hearts with your
love, and support our efforts with
your grace. You who live and
reign for ever and ever.
All –Amen!
Preparation of the Gifts
P –Pray, brethren. . .
All –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 holy Church.
Prayer over the Offerings
P – Receive with favor, O Lord,
we pray, the offerings of your
people, that what they profess
with devotion and faith may be
theirs through these heavenly
mysteries.
Through Christ our Lord.
All – Amen!
Preface of Christmas II
P –The Lord be with you!
All –And with your spirit!
P –Lift up your hearts!
All – We lift them up to the Lord!
P –Let us give thanks to the
Lord our God!
All –It is right and just!
P – It is truly right and just, our
duty and our salvation, always
and everywhere to give you
thanks, Lord, holy Father, al-
mighty and eternal God, through
Christ our Lord.
For on the feast of this awe-
filled mystery, though invisible
in his own divine nature, he has
appeared visibly in ours; and
begotten before all ages, he has
begun to exist in time; so that,
raising up in himself all that was
cast down, he might restore unity
to all creation and call straying
humanity back to the heavenly
Kingdom.
And so, with all the Angels,
we praise you, as in joyful cel-
ebration we acclaim:
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!
Memorial Acclamation
P –The mystery of faith!
All –We proclaim your Death,
O Lord, and profess your
Resurrection until you come
again!
Prayer after Communion
P –O God, who touches us through
our partaking of your Sacrament,
work, we pray, the effects of its
power in our hearts, that we may
be made fit to receive your gift
through this very gift itself.
Through Christ our Lord.
All – Amen!
P –The Lord be with you.
All – And with your spirit!
P – Bow your heads and pray
for God’s blessing. (Pause)
– May God, the Father of
mercy, shed His light upon
you at the beginning of this
New Year, and protect you
from all dangers!
All – Amen!
P –May He enable you to make
wise decisions and prosper
all your honest undertak-
ings and activities!
All – Amen!
P –May He grant you good
health and strength, and
guide you into the way of
peace!
All – Amen!
P – May almighty God bless
you: the Father, and the
Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All – Amen!
P –Go in peace, glorifying the
Lord by your life!
All – Thanks be to God!

NOVENA PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS

All – Our Father . . .
P –Deliver us, Lord . . .
All –For the kingdom, the
power, and the glory are
yours, now and for ever!
Sign of Peace
Breaking of the Bread
All – Lamb of God, you take
away the sins of the world: have
mercy on us. (2×)
Lamb of God, you take
away the sins of the world:
grant us peace.
Communion
P –This is the Lord Jesus who
opens the eyes of the blind. He is
the Lamb of God who takes away
the sins of the world. Blessed are
those called to his supper.
All –Lord, I am not worthy
that you should enter under
my roof, but only say the word
and my soul shall be healed.
Communion Antiphon
(To be recited only when no
Communion Hymn is sung.)
By this the love of God was
revealed to us: God sent his
Only Begotten Son into the
world, so that we might have
life through him.
Divine Jesus, you have said, Ć „Ask, and you shall receive;
Ć seek, and you shall find; Ć knock, and it shall be opened unto
you.‰ Ć Behold me kneeling at your feet, Ć filled with a lively faith
and confidence Ć in the promises dictated by your Sacred Heart Ć
and pronounced by your adorable lips. Ć I come to ask this favor:
(Silently mention your petitions.)
To whom can I turn if not to you Ć whose heart is the source
of all graces and merits? Ć Where should I seek if not in the trea-
sure Ć which contains all the riches of your kindness and mercy?
Ć Where should I knock Ć if not at the door through which God
gives himself to us Ć and through which we go to God? Ć I have
recourse to you, Heart of Jesus. Ć In you I find consolation when
afflicted, Ć protection when persecuted, Ć strength when burdened
with trials, Ć and light in doubt and darkness.
Dear Jesus, I firmly believe Ć that you can grant me the grace I
implore, Ć even though it should require a miracle. Ć You have only
to will it, Ć and my prayer will be granted. Ć I admit that I am most
unworthy of your favors, Ć but this is not a reason for me to be
discouraged. Ć You are the God of mercy Ć and you will not refuse
a contrite heart. Ć Cast upon me a look of mercy, I beg of you, Ć
and your kind heart will find in my miseries and weaknesses Ć a
reason for granting my prayer.
O Sacred Heart, Ć whatever may be your decision with regard
to my request, Ć I will never stop adoring, loving, praising, and
serving you. Ć My Jesus, be pleased to accept this my act of
perfect resignation Ć to the decrees of your adorable heart Ć which
I sincerely desire may be fulfilled Ć in and by me and by all your
creatures for ever.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, Ć I know that there is but one thing im-
possible to you: Ć to be without pity for those who are suffering or
in distress. Ć Look upon me, I beg of you, dear Jesus, Ć and grant me
the grace for which I humbly implore you Ć through the Immaculate
Heart of your most sorrowful Mother. Ć You have entrusted me to her
as her child, Ć and her prayers are all-powerful with you. Ć Amen!

First Friday
 JESUS, THE SERVANT/SON WHO BRINGS
SALVATION TO ALL
Jess P. Balon

T
he history of mankind up to Jesus
Christ was mostly a sad sequence of
sins and deeply rooted forms of moral
perversion. It started with Adam and Eve.
Then the situation became ever worse,
to the point that God “regretted to have
created mankind” and seemed to have no
choice but to “purify” the earth through a
devastating flood. (See Gn 6-9.)
But even that catastrophic event did
not solve the problem, for the inclination
to sin was deeply imbedded in the heart of
every human being, as the behavior of the
youngest son of Noah and the episode of
the tower of Babel showed. (See Gn 9:22 and
11:1-4.)
So, God planned to remedy that hopeless
situation by establishing that a descendant
of Abraham would be the obedient “Ser-
vant-Son” who would undo all the wrongs
done by men through the centuries. Jesus
of Nazareth, God’s incarnate Son, was this
long-awaited Savior.
Jesus knew that his mission was to save
all sinners from their condition of enslave-
ment to Satan and to reinstate them in the
freedom of God’s children. He knew that
God’s plan to save sinners required that he
should take their sins upon himself and carry
such a crushing burden up to Calvary. Jesus
knew all this. And he said “Yes.”
Such mission started in the stable of
Bethlehem, but it was in the waters of the
Jordan that Christ’s role as “cross bearer”
of mankind was formally announced by the
“voice” who identified him with the Servant
who was to deliver his people through his
ignominious death. (See Is 53:12.) It was on
that occasion that Jesus, in the sight of
everybody, joined the crowd of sinners who
were receiving the baptism of repentance
from John. It was also on that occasion that
God (the “voice from heaven”) declared:
“This is my beloved Son. My favor rests on
him” (Mt 3:17). That was when his formal
“investiture” as “Servant-Son” took place.
Jesus accepted all this in all freedom,
with unwavering love, in humble obedience
to the will of the Father. And that’s why
the Father was well-pleased with him. (See
v. 17.) He will likewise be pleased with us,
if we, too, like Jesus, are single-minded in
fulfilling God’s plan for us.

St. Artemide Zatti,

in Comics

We give praise and thanks

to God for the gift of
St. Artemide Zatti to the
Church!
May the comics help all of
us to know more about him
and be inspired by him.

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