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

7 May 2023 5th Sunday of Easter Year A

ROOTED IN JESUS, OUR WAY,

OUR TRUTH, AND OUR LIFE
O
n this Fifth Sunday of Easter, we look back with gratitude
to all the blessings which Almighty God has granted us. We
thank Him, in a special manner, for the gift of Jesus, our
risen Brother and Savior who, in these past weeks, has accompa-
nied us as our friendly fellow traveler and our Good Shepherd. He
still continues to lead us from the confusion and lies of a society
tainted with so many forms of corruption to the tranquillity of
God’s home – heaven!
May this Eucharist further strengthen our union among our-
selves and with Jesus who is THE WAY, THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE.
As members of his Body, the Church, may we offer humankind the
only well-grounded hope for better days as it continues its quest
for peace, compassion, and generous solidarity.

the sacred mysteries, let us call Gloria

Entrance Antiphon
(To be recited only when no
Entrance Hymn is sung.)
O sing a new song to the
Lord, for he has worked won-
ders; in the sight of the nations
he has shown his deliverance,
alleluia.
Greeting
P –Blessed be God, the Father
Almighty, who gave us in Jesus
every spiritual blessing we need.
May His grace and peace be with
you all!
All – And with your spirit!
Penitential Act
P –As we prepare to celebrate
to mind our sins and ask the Lord
for pardon and strength. (Pause) All – Glory to God in the high-
P –Lord Jesus, you are the great
est, and on earth peace to peo-
ple of good will. We praise you,
Servant-Leader who leads
we bless you, we adore you,
us through your example
we glorify you, we give you
of humility and generous
thanks for your great glory,
service. Lord, have mercy!
All – Lord, have mercy!
Lord God, heavenly King, O
God, almighty Father.
P –Lord Jesus, you are the cor- Lord Jesus Christ, Only Be-
nerstone on which we can
gotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of
build our hopes and experi- God, Son of the Father, you take
ence security and peace. away the sins of the world, have
Christ, have mercy! mercy on us; you take away the
All – Christ, have mercy! sins of the world, receive our
P –Lord Jesus, you are our Way prayer; you are seated at the
to the Father, our Truth, and right hand of the Father, have
our Life. Lord, have mercy! mercy on us. For you alone are
All – Lord, have mercy! the Holy One, you alone are the
P – May almighty God have Lord, you alone are the Most
mercy on us, forgive us our sins, High, Jesus Christ, with the
Holy Spirit, in the glory of God
and bring us to everlasting life.
All – Amen! the Father. Amen!

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 Collect (Opening Prayer)
P –Almighty ever-living God,
constantly accomplish the Pas-
chal Mystery within us, that
those you were pleased to make
new in Holy Baptism may, under
your protective care, bear much
fruit and come to the joys of life
eternal.
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.
All – Amen!
1st Reading Acts 6:1-7
Every crisis can be turned
into an opportunity to grow. This
is what happened in the early
community of believers in Je-
rusalem, where accusations of
discrimination led to the insti-
tution of the diaconate, a new
type of service-leadership in the
Church that has become a part of
its permanent structure.
R – A proclamation from the
Acts of the Apostles
As the number of disciples
continued to grow, the Hellenists
complained against the Hebrews
because their widows were being
neglected in the daily distribution.
So the Twelve called togeth-
er the community of the disci-
ples and said, “It is not right for
us to neglect the word of God to
serve at table. Brothers, select
from among you seven reputable
men, filled with the Spirit and
wisdom, whom we shall appoint
to this task, whereas we shall
devote ourselves to prayer and
to the ministry of the word.”
The proposal was acceptable to
the whole community, so they
chose Stephen, a man filled with
faith and the Holy Spirit; also
Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor,
Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas
of Antioch, a convert to Juda-
ism. They presented these men
to the apostles who prayed and
laid hands on them.
The word of God continued
to spread, and the number of the
disciples in Jerusalem increased
greatly; even a large group of
priests were becoming obedient
7 May 2023
to the faith.
The Word of the Lord!
All – Thanks be to God!
Responsorial Psalm Ps 33
R – Lord, let your mercy be on us,
as we place our trust in you!
* Exult, you just, in the
Lord; praise from the upright
is fitting. Give thanks to the
Lord on the harp; with the ten-
stringed lyre chant his prais-
es. R.
* Upright is the word of the
Lord, and all his works are
trustworthy. He loves justice
and right; of the kindness of
the Lord the earth is full. R.
* See, the eyes of the Lord
are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his
kindness, to deliver them from
death and preserve them in
spite of famine. R.
2nd Reading 1 Pt 2:4-9
Jesus Christ is the Living
Cornerstone on which the spiri-
tual building of the Church rests.
All believers are like as many
“living stones” to whom God
offers the unique privilege to be
part of the same building.
R – A proclamation from the
First Letter of Peter
Beloved:
Come to him, a living
stone, rejected by human be-
ings but chosen and precious
in the sight of God, and, like
living stones, let yourselves be
built into a spiritual house to
be a holy priesthood to offer
spiritual sacrifices acceptable
to God through Jesus Christ.
For it says in Scripture:
“Behold, I am laying a
stone in Zion, a cornerstone,
chosen and precious, and who-
ever believes in it shall not be
put to shame.”
Therefore, its value is for
you who have faith, but for
those without faith:
“The stone that the builders
rejected has become the corner-
stone,” and “A stone that will
make people stumble, and a
rock that will make them fall.”
They stumble by disobey-
ing the word, as is their des-
tiny. You are “a chosen race, a
royal priesthood, a holy nation,
a people of his own, so that you
may announce the praises” of
him who called you out of dark-
ness into his wonderful light.
The Word of the Lord!
All – Thanks be to God!
Gospel Acclamation Jn 14:6
All – Alleluia! Alleluia!
I am the way, the truth,
and the life, says the Lord;
no one comes to the Fa-
ther, except through me.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Gospel Jn 14:1-12
Jesus is not just our Mentor
and our Host. He is also the Way
that leads to our final destina-
tion. He is our very Life. He is
all that makes our life meaning-
ful and every effort worthwhile
because of his intimate commu-
nion with the Father.
P –The Lord be with you!
All –And with your spirit!
P – A proclamation from the
holy Gospel according to
John
All – Glory to you, O Lord!
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not let your hearts be
troubled. You have faith in
God; have faith also in me. In
my Father’s house there are
many dwelling places. If there
were not, would I have told you
that I am going to prepare a
place for you? And if I go and
prepare a place for you, I will
come back again and take you
to myself, so that where I am
you also may be. Where I am
going, you know the way.”
Thomas said to him, “Mas-
ter, we do not know where you
are going; how can we know
the way?” Jesus said to him,
“I am the way and the truth
and the life. No one comes to
the Father except through me.
If you know me, then you will
also know my Father. From
now on, you do know him and
have seen him.”
Philip said to him, “Mas-
ter, show us the Father, and
that will be enough for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been
with you for so long a time and
you still do not know me, Phil-
ip? Whoever has seen me has
seen the Father. How can you
say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do
you not believe that I am in
the Father and the Father is in
me? The words that I speak to
you I do not speak on my own.
The Father who dwells in me
is doing his works. Believe me
that I am in the Father and the
Father is in me, or else, believe
because of the works them-
selves. Amen, amen, I say to
you, whoever believes in me
will do the works that I do, and
will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Fa-
ther.”
The Gospel of the Lord!
All – Praise to you, Lord Jesus
Christ!
Homily
Profession of Faith
(Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed)
All –I believe in one God, the
Father almighty, maker of heav-
en and earth, of all things vis-
ible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus
Christ, the Only Begotten Son
of God, born of the Father be-
fore all ages. God from God,
Light from Light, true God from
true God, begotten, not made,
consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were
made. For us men and for our
salvation he came down from
heaven, (bow)* and by the Holy
Spirit was incarnate of the Vir-
gin Mary, and became man.*
For our sake he was crucified
under Pontius Pilate, he suf-
fered death and was buried, and
rose again on the third day in
accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven and is
seated at the right hand of the
Father. He will come again in
glory to judge the living and the
dead and his kingdom will have
no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life, who
proceeds from the Father and
the Son, who with the Father
and the Son is adored and glo-
rified, who has spoken through
the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, cath-
olic and apostolic Church. I
confess one Baptism for the
forgiveness of sins and I look
forward to the resurrection
of the dead and the life of the
world to come. Amen!
Prayer of the Faithful
P –Gathered around the Risen
Christ, our Way to the Father,
we feel fully confident in his
boundless love for us. Hence we
humbly submit to him our peti-
tions for the needs of humankind
and our own as we say:
All – Lord Jesus, lead us to the
Father!
C –For the universal Church,
the community of disciples gath-
ered around Jesus, the Living
Stone: May she be for all man-
kind a source of inspiration and
hope. Let us pray! R.
C –For the Holy Father, our
Bishop, our Parish Priest, and
other spiritual leaders: May they
mirror to us the holiness of Je-
sus and lead us to an ever-greater
communion with the Father. Let
us pray! R.
C –For all those who have lost
the sense of direction in life and
feel confused and discouraged:
May they find in the teaching
of the Church and in our good
example the guidance and en-
couragement they need. Let us
pray! R.
C –For the terminally ill and
those who are about to die: May
they find in the promises of Jesus
the foundation for their hope to
live for ever in the House of the
Father. Let us pray! R.
C –For each of us and the rest
of our parish community: May
we always be united in brotherly
solidarity and love around Jesus,
the Cornerstone of our spiritual
edifice. Let us pray! R.
C –Let us pray in silence
for our personal intentions.
(Pause) Let us pray! R.
P –God, our Father, we thank
You for the gift of eternal life
offered us in Jesus, Your Son
and our Brother. May all our
thoughts, words and actions be
according to Your will and lead
us to the enjoyment of the eternal
mansions where You live with
Jesus and the Holy Spirit, one
God, 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 –O, God, who by the wonder-
ful exchange effected in this sac-
rifice have made us partakers of
the one supreme Godhead, grant,
we pray, that, as we have come to
know your truth, we may make it
ours by a worthy way of life.
Through Christ our Lord.
All – Amen!
Preface of Easter 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, at all
times to acclaim you, O Lord,
but in this time above all to laud
you yet more gloriously, when
Christ our Passover has been
sacrificed.
Through him the children of
light rise to eternal life and the
halls of the heavenly Kingdom
are thrown open to the faithful;
for his Death is our ransom from
death, and in his rising the life of
all has risen.
5th Sunday of Easter (A)
 Therefore, overcome with
paschal joy, every land, every
people exults in your praise and
even the heavenly Powers, with
the angelic hosts, sing together
the unending hymn of your glo-
ry, as they 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!
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 –Behold the Lamb of God,
behold him who takes away the
sins of the world. Blessed are
those called to the Supper of the
Lamb.
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.)
I am the true vine and you
are the branches, says the
Lord. Whoever remains in
me, and I in him, bears fruit in
plenty, alleluia.
Prayer after Communion
P –Graciously be present to
your people, we pray, O Lord,
and lead those you have imbued
with heavenly mysteries to pass
from former ways to newness of
life.
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 the God of all wisdom
and consolation lead you in
the WAY of peace.
All – Amen!
P –May He enlighten your
minds with the light of His
TRUTH and empower you
to live by it.
All – Amen!
P –May He protect you from all
dangers and grant you the
abundance of His LIFE and
happiness.
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!

WORD AND LIFE PUBLICATIONS

GOD’S GUESTS IN THE ETERNAL MANSIONS

Jess P. Balon

W hen we reflect on what Jesus is in

himself and for us, we cannot but be
amazed at the richness of the meaning
of his titles as we can derive them from
today’s Biblical readings.
St. Peter speaks of him as the “LIVING
STONE” and the “CORNERSTONE”
upon whom the building of the Church
rests. (See Second Reading.) As the original
“living stone,” Jesus is the source of our
life and the reason for our presence and role
in the Church. Without him there would
be no Church as a spiritual edifice. There
would be no other smaller “living stones”
used by God to construct the Temple of
His wonderful plan.
The image of Jesus as “Cornerstone,”
instead, connotes both solidity and primacy.
No house would stand without a strong
foundation. Likewise, without Christ as its
cornerstone, there would be no endur-
ing Church. Persecutions and defections
would have soon reduced it to nothing. But
the Church has survived for two thousand
years – a clear sign that it rests on a most
solid cornerstone!
In the Gospel Jesus gives the three clas-
sical definitions of himself as “THE WAY,
THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE.”
As “The Way,” he reminds us of the
“eternal mansions” and “dwelling places”
he has prepared for all his friends at the
cost of his life. It would be useless to
know about their existence and their
having been prepared for us, if we did not
know how to get there. Jesus does not
leave things half-done. He is not only the
designer, the architect and the construc-
tor of the mansions. He is also the sure,
straight, and tested way that leads to
them.
Jesus is also “The Truth” in all its full-
ness – the truth about God, and the truth
about man. He is the truth that really
matters and that gives meaning to all other
truths from which we derive our certi-
tudes in life. Without Jesus as the “foun-
dational truth,” we would be submerged
in an ocean of doubts and fleeting theories
that change from one moment to another
and which would shroud our lives in end-
less uncertainty.
Finally, Jesus is “The Life”: the original
and lasting Life, without beginning or end;
the Life from which all living beings derive
their existence and on which they depend
for their continuation. From him, as the
source of our life, flow all worthy initia-
tives and enterprises, all the inspiration
and creativity that constantly renew and
improve our life on earth. Invulnerable to
all attacks of decay and death, Jesus as the
fullness of Life is the ultimate aspiration of
all hearts.
Jesus is all this to us, and much more.
Our response to him can only be what
he himself suggests at the beginning of
today’s Gospel passage: “Do not let your
hearts be troubled. You have faith in God;
have faith also in me.” For, if we really
believe in him and put all our trust in him,
we shall never be disappointed, and noth-
ing – absolutely nothing – will ever be able
to trouble us.

LIVE THE JOY OF THE RESURRECTION

AND LIVE UP TO ITS CHALLENGES WITH THE HELP OF THE PAMPHLET

Do you know that

the Via Lucis (Trail of Light)
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indispensable sequel to the
Way of the Cross?

TThe Trail off Light

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o the Resurrection in our personal
and community life.
Every
Eveer season of the year, except Lent,
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Available in pamphlets, posters,
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