Remember, you are dust, and to dust you will return. (When a parish only has candidates, their Rite of Sending may take place on Sunday, March 22.

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1 Wednesday, February 25, 2009: Ash Wednesday Today ashes are blessed and imposed after the homily. Apart from Mass, a liturgy of the word precedes the rite of blessing, concluding with General Intercessions, the Lord s Prayer and a hymn. (See Book of Blessing, ). The ordinary minister for the blessing of ashes is a priest or deacon. Others (extraordinary ministers of holy communion, ministers to the homebound) can assist with the imposition of ashes where there is a genuine need. One of the following formulas is used: Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel. At Mass, the Penitential Rite is omitted. or Remember, you are dust, and to dust you will return. March 1, st Sunday of Lent Jesus fasted to prepare himself for his mission. So too the Lenten fast serves as our preparation for the renewal of our call to mission, given through Baptism, with the renewal of our vows at Easter. He was among the wild beasts, and angels came and ministered to him. Mark 1:12-15 Parish Celebration for Sending Catechumens for Election and Candidates for Recognition by the Bishop, RCIA #530 (When a parish only has candidates, their Rite of Sending may take place on Sunday, March 22.) The Rite of Election is celebrated in 2009 at 2:30 PM at St. Anne s Church in Brentwood, and at 7 PM at Agnes Cathedral, Rockville Centre. For information, contact the Office of Worship: worship@drvc.org 1

2 March 8, 2009 From the cloud came a voice, This is my beloved son. Listen to him. Mark 9: nd Sunday of Lent Just as Jesus passed through death into transfigured glory, so too will we who have been claimed by him in Baptism and faithfully follow him. Celebration of a Penitential Rite for Candidates, RCIA #459. March 15, rd Sunday of Lent Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up But he was speaking about the temple of his body. John 2:13-25 Jesus speaks of the ultimate freedom to be won for us by his raising up. When the elect are present, the readings from Cycle A are used for the First Scrutiny. Whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life. John 4:5-42 What is it for which we thirst? Does it bring us to eternal life? For the Elect: The First Scrutiny, #150 RCIA If Eucharistic Prayer 1 is used, there is a special insert that allows for the naming of the godparents of the elect who are to be scrutinized. During the week, the presentation of the Creed may be celebrated with the Elect, #157 RCIA. 2

3 March 19, Solemnity of Saint Joseph Marked as a solemnity, Joseph has been honored on March 19 since the end of the 10 th century. He was declared Patron of the universal Church in Today is also the patronal feast of Pope Benedict XVI. Prayers for the pope may be included in the general intercessions of the Mass and the Hours. See the Book of Blessings (pp ) for the Blessing of St. Joseph s Table (bread, pastries, and other food). March 22, 2009 Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. John 3:14-21 Half-way through Lent the church invites us to Rejoice, anticipating the joy of the Easter mystery. Rose-colored vestments are permitted, softening the harsh purple, instruments may be used at Mass and the altar may be decorated with flowers. 4 th Sunday of Lent, Laetare Sunday For the Second Scrutiny with the Elect I came into the world for judgment, so that those who do not see might see, and those who do see might become blind. John 9:1-41 To what am I blind? To my own sinfulness? For the Elect: The Second Scrutiny, #164 RCIA. Along with the Gospel of the Man Born Blind, there is proper Preface and if Eucharistic Prayer 1 is used, a special insert may be used which prays for the godparents of the elect. For the Candidates: Today marks the celebration of the Call to Continuing Conversion at Saint Agnes Cathedral at 3:30 PM, and Saint Anne, Brentwood at 2:30. The Rite of Sending the Candidates to the Bishop may be celebrated in the local parish. If a parish has no elect, the rite could be celebrated in the morning. If the parish has elect, and so will celebrate the scrutinies, it is preferable to celebrate the Rite of Sending with the catechumens on the First Sunday of Lent. 3

4 March 25, Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word. Luke 1:26-38 From a sermon by Saint Leo the Great: By becoming one of us in the womb of Mary, Jesus accepted suffering and death. Beyond our grasp, he chose to come within our grasp. Existing before time began, he began to exist at a moment in time. Lord of the universe, he hid his infinite glory and took the nature of a servant. Incapable of suffering as God, he did not refuse to be a man, capable of suffering. Immortal, he chose to be subject to the laws of death. (Office of Readings, p 1746) March 29, th Sunday of Lent Amen, amen I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remain just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. John 12:20-33 The Third Scrutiny is celebrated, #171 RCIA. Along with the Gospel of the Raising of Lazarus, there is proper Preface and if Eucharistic Prayer 1 is used, a special insert may be used which prays for the godparents of the elect. I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. John 11:1-45 What brings me true life? During the week, the Presentation of the Lord s Prayer may be celebrated with the Elect, #178 RCIA April 5, 2009 Palm Sunday of the Lord s Passion The memorial of the Lord s entrance in Jerusalem is to be included at every Mass, with the procession or solemn entrance taking place at the principal Mass. The opening rites take three forms. (see Sacramentary). When the presiding priest reaches the chair, Mass continues with the Opening Prayer. There is no Penitential Rite. 4

5 April 6, 2009 Monday of Holy Week Diocesan Reconciliation Day The Sacrament of Penance will be available in every Church in the Diocese from 3:00 to 9:00pm. Several possible bulletin inserts are included, along with Paul Turner s, How To Go To Confession. Examination of Conscience Sin is an offense against God and his body the Church. Every sin also has its communal dimensions. By Baptism all the members of the Church are bound to one another, and so one person s sin harms the whole body of Christ. Not all sin is equally serious. It is the breaking off of my relationship with God in serious matters (mortal sin); the damaging of that relationship in less serious matters (venial sin). To understand the meaning of the sacrament of Penance, I must first realize my place in relationship to God: God has created me, redeemed me, given me all that I have and am. To receive the sacrament of penance, a person should prepare by asking for God s help, and particularly for the guidance of the Holy Spirit so that a person will know their sins and be able to confess them honestly. A person should then examine their conscience, looking particularly at their relationship with God, with other people, and at whether or not I am growing better and closer to God as my life goes on. It is the Holy Spirit that enables us to see those areas of our lives where sin has affected our relationships; it is the Holy Spirit who enables us to recognize the sin, then seek forgiveness, and to move ahead. Examination of Conscience (for children) One of the reasons for the sacrament of Reconciliation is to help us to be aware of how we act and to change behavior that is not appropriate for a follower of Jesus. A way in which we can do this is to form the habit of reviewing our actions or behavior each day and to see how our lives are in accord with God s Word. We need to look at how we acted with our friends, our siblings, our parents and to see how we match up with what Jesus has asked us to do. Jesus gave us some guidelines in Scripture. In Matthew s Gospel Jesus challenges us to a Christian lifestyle by listing the Beatitudes ( Matt 5:1-12). We need to read these Beatitudes and to see how we are living in the light of the Beatitudes. I need to ask myself how I try to live out these commands of Jesus. Perhaps a parent, teacher or a catechist can help me to form some questions that would help me to understand how these Beatitudes apply to my life now. 5

6 Reconciliation How to Celebrate the Sacrament of Penance Our Catholic church treasures the sacrament of reconciliation. Many parishes offer a communal celebration of penance, especially during Advent and Lent. But private reconciliation is usually available every week of the year. If you'd like to celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation, here's what to do: Prepare. Prayerfully recall your sins. Some will be specific actions. Some represent a more general pattern of behavior. Go to the priest. Visit when he's in the reconciliation room at your parish or ask for an appointment. You may either kneel anonymously behind a screen or sit in a chair where you may speak face to face. Be welcome. You and the priest may greet each other. Make the Sign of the Cross. He may urge you to have confidence in God. You may indicate the interval since your last confession or anything else that will help. Just use common sense. Either you or the priest may read from Scripture. Confess your sins. Some penitents begin with a formula like, "Bless me, Father, for I have sinned." But you don't have to. Let the priest know your sins. You may discuss the sins you confess so the priest can give you the best counsel. Receive a penance. The priest will recommend some action after you leave to indicate to God the sincerity in your heart. Usually he suggests prayer or self-denial. If it sounds difficult, let him know. Pray for forgiveness. The priest may invite you to say a prayer of sorrow aloud. If you remember the Act of Contrition, you may use it. But you may also speak simply from your heart. One form of the Act of Contrition is: My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In his name, my God have mercy. Or Lord Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Receive absolution. The best part! The priest proclaims absolution, and God forgives your sins. The prayer of absolution: God the Father of mercies, through the ministry of the Church through the death and resurrection of his Son may God give you pardon and peace, has reconciled the world to himself and I absolve you from your sins and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the in the name of the Father, and of the Son,(+) forgiveness of sins; and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Conclude. The priest may say, "Give thanks to the Lord for he is good." If so, answer, "His mercy endures forever." Or he may conclude informally. Change! Go forth, and with God's help, begin to live a new life of freedom from the slavery of sin! Copyright (c) 1997 Resource Publications, Inc., 160 E. Virginia St. #290, San Jose, CA 95112, (408) Paul Turner, pastor of St. John Regis Parish in Kansas City, Mo., holds a doctorate in sacramental theology from Sant' Anselmo University in Rome. His is PaulTu@aol.com. 6

7 How to Celebrate the Sacrament of Penance (for children) The reconciliation service may begin with everyone gathered in church and starting with a song. The priest greets us and says an opening prayer. We then listen to a Scripture reading and then to a homily about the reading. Sometimes there is an examination of conscience that is read slowly with time for us to think of how it applies to us and sometimes quiet time is given so we can think of our sins; so we can think of the times that we have not acted as Jesus has taught us to act. Now there is time for each person to approach the priest and tell a sin for which they are sorry and the priest gives us a penance. This is usually a prayer to say or a good deed to perform to help us to lead better lives. The priest then asks us to say a prayer of sorrow ; an act of contrition. We can say a prayer we have memorized or we can say a prayer from our heart that expresses our sorrow. One form of the Act of Contrition is: My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In his name, my God have mercy. Or Lord Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Then the priest says a prayer over us and blesses us. This prayer is called the prayer of absolution. The prayer of absolution: God the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the on,(+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. The priest then says a closing prayer and blesses all who are present. 7

8 An Examination of Conscience The Rite of Penance contains a form of the Examination of Conscience (Appendix III). This form may also be used. Some thoughts on examination of conscience for adults. For too long we have looked at examination of conscience as a mere exertion of effort necessary to come up with a grocery list of sins. Rather, it should be part of the rhythm of our daily lives on our way toward maturity. It is not so much a looking at the things we do, but rather, at the person who does them. For each of us is a relational and responsible person, and it is within this context that we grow further toward or away from our goal Jesus Christ. THINK OF YOURSELF AS A PERSON. Do you accept yourself with your good and bad points? Do you share yourself with others? Do you realize you have been called by, loved by God in a unique way? Do you treat others with dignity and respect? Do you use your sexuality irresponsibly or selfishly? Do you exploit others for your own pleasure? THINK OF YOURSELF AS A HUSBAND OR WIFE. Do you strive for understanding and communication with your spouse in order to be one spirit as planned by God? THINK OF YOURSELF AS A FATHER OR MOTHER. Do you give your children yourself, your time, your abilities? Do you correct then when they re wrong, praise them when you should, instruct them with gentleness and patience? Are you aware of your responsibility to guide them in the Faith by your words and actions? Do you apologize and admit when you re wrong and they ve been right? THINK OF YOURSELF AS AN ADULT CHILD. Do you realize that this command to honor your father and mother applies to you, if you are blessed to still have your parents as it does to your children? THINK OF YOURSELF AS A NEIGHBOR. Do you realize that your neighbor is your brother and sister? Do you try to be helpful when you know there is a need? Do you respect their rights and allow them to be persons? Do you make judgments about people based upon their appearance or color? Do you harbor prejudice in your heart? THINK OF YOURSELF AS AN EMPLOYEE, AS AN EMPLOYER. Do you give your employer all of your time during the hours he is paying you, realizing that stealing time is the same as stealing? Do you give your employer your full efforts and concentration during working hours? Do I pay a just wage? Do I provide adequate working conditions? THINK OF YOURSELF AS A MEMBER OF THE WORLD COMMUNITY OF THE FAMILY OF GOD. Do you sufficiently reflect on the responsibility you have to be concerned about the other members of this family who are suffering from poverty, prejudice, unfair labor practices, unjust housing laws, and other various causes? Do you take it as a responsibility to consider the morality involved in issues like abortion, euthanasia, denial of rights to migrant workers, corruption in political or economic structures? Do you take it as your responsibility to be informed about current events and to listen with open minds and hearts to those holding different positions? THINK OF YOURSELF IN YOUR DIRECT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. Do you make the effort to spend some time with Him each day even if it s just to say good morning or thanks? Do you seek to know Him better in whatever way fits you best? Do you allow Him to give Himself often to you in the gifts of His sacraments of Eucharist and Penance? 8

9 Thursday morning, April 9, 2009 The Chrism Mass The Chrism Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. in the Cathedral. All priests are invited to concelebrate. The Holy Oils will be distributed at the conclusion of the liturgy. It is appropriate that the oils of the sick, the oil of the catechumens, and the holy chrism, which are blessed by the bishop during the Chrism Mass, be presented to and received by the local parish community. A reception of the Holy Oils may take place in every parish either before the celebration of the evening Mass of the Lord s Supper or at another time that seems appropriate. The old oils may be buried in the ground or put into the lamp that burns before the Blessed Sacrament. THE RECEPTION OF THE HOLY OILS BLESSED AT THE CHRISM MASS Presenter of the Oil of the Sick: The oil of the sick. Priest: May the sick who are anointed with this oil experience the compassion of Christ and his saving love, in body, mind, and soul. People: Blessed be God for ever. Presenter of the Oil of Catechumens: The oil of catechumens. Priest: Through anointing with this oil may our catechumens who are preparing to receive the saving waters of baptism be strengthened by Christ to resist the power of Satan and reject evil in all its forms. People: Blessed be God for ever. Presenter of the Holy Chrism: The holy Chrism. Priest: Through anointing with this perfumed Chrism may children and adults, who are baptized and confirmed, and presbyters, who are ordained, experience the gracious gift of the Holy Spirit. People: Blessed be God for ever. The Paschal Triduum The Paschal Triduum begins with the celebration of the Evening Mass of the Lord s Supper and comes to conclusion at Vespers on Easter Sunday. Fourteen Questions on the Paschal Triduum a statement from the Bishop Committee on the Liturgy (USCCB) is available from the Office of Worship webpage. In addition, the Bishop s Committee on the Liturgy has made available the current directives and rubrics from the Missale Romanum for the celebration of the Triduum. They can be accessed at Of special interest is the note about Daylight Savings Time, which begins a few weeks before Easter. Care should be taken when scheduling the Easter Vigil to assure that the celebration begins after night fall. 9