Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Welcome | Resources for Liturgy | Rites of the Church | Celebrations of the Word for God for Home Use during COVID-19

Sunday 21 November 2021

Celebration of the Word of God

In the current COVID-19 pandemic, many Catholics are unable to participate in the Sunday Eucharistic celebration. This resource is provided so that families and individuals can observe and celebrate Sunday in their homes. It is adapted from, and based on, Celebrations of the Word of God that may be celebrated on Sundays in parishes when a priest is not present to lead the celebration of Mass.

Before the celebration, choose a space for prayer together in the home. You may wish to prepare a focus for prayer, with a lit candle and cross. You could also decorate this focus with white cloth if you have any, to reflect the liturgical colour of the feast day.

If several people will pray together, choose who will be the leader of the celebration. Other people should be chosen to read the readings and the intercessions. If you are on your own, you may omit the parts that would only apply to a group setting (eg responses).

The Introductory Rites

Opening Song

You may choose to play this recording of Hail, Redeemer, King Divine (Patrick Brennan, William Henry Grattan Flood)

Greeting

Leader:

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

All:

Amen.

Leader:

Blessed be God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

All:

Blessed be God for ever.

Penitential Act

Leader:

The love of Christ has gathered us together.
Let us ask forgiveness of the Lord who is compassion and love.

Pause briefly for silent prayer.

Leader:

Lord Jesus, you are the King of the universe:
Lord, have mercy.

All:

Lord, have mercy.

Leader:

You are the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end:
Christ, have mercy.

All:

Christ, have mercy.

Leader:

You came to bear to witness to the truth:
Lord, have mercy.

All:

Lord, have mercy.

Leader:

May almighty God have mercy on us,
forgive us our sins,
and bring us to everlasting life.

All:

Amen.

Collect Prayer

Leader:

Let us pray.

Pause for silent prayer.

Almighty ever-living God,
whose will is to restore all things
in your beloved Son, the King of the universe,
grant, we pray,
that the whole creation, set free from slavery,
may render your majesty service
and ceaselessly proclaim your praise.
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.

The Liturgy of the Word

First Reading

Reader:

A reading from the prophet Daniel

I gazed into the visions of the night.
And I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven,
one like a son of man.
He came to the one of great age
and was led into his presence.
On him was conferred sovereignty,
glory and kingship,
and men of all peoples, nations and languages became his servants.
His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty
which shall never pass away,
nor will his empire be destroyed.

The word of the Lord.

All:

Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

℟ The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.

The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed;
the Lord has robed himself with might,
he has girded himself with power. ℟

The world you made firm, not to be moved;
your throne has stood firm from of old.
From all eternity, O Lord, you are. ℟

Truly your decrees are to be trusted.
Holiness is fitting to your house,
O Lord, until the end of time. ℟

Second Reading

Reader:

A reading from the book of the Apocalypse

Jesus Christ is the faithful witness, the First-born from the dead, the Ruler of the kings of the earth. He loves us and has washed away our sins with his blood, and made us a line of kings, priests to serve his God and Father; to him, then, be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen. It is he who is coming on the clouds; everyone will see him, even those who pierced him, and all the races of the earth will mourn over him. This is the truth. Amen. ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega’ says the Lord God, who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.

The word of the Lord.

All:

Thanks be to God.

Acclamation Before the Gospel

Try singing Alleluia to a simple tune known to all.

Gospel

Reader:

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ Pilate asked. Jesus replied, ‘Do you ask this of your own accord, or have others spoken to you about me?’ Pilate answered, ‘Am I a Jew? It is your own people and the chief priests who have handed you over to me: what have you done?’ Jesus replied, ‘Mine is not a kingdom of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my men would have fought to prevent my being surrendered to the Jews. But my kingdom is not of this kind.’ ‘So you are a king then?’ said Pilate. ‘It is you who say it’ answered Jesus. ‘Yes, I am a king. I was born for this, I came into the world for this: to bear witness to the truth; and all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

All:

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Reflection on the Word

Fewer and fewer countries these days are ruled by kings or queens. This feast day, however, still reminds us that Jesus’ power and authority is beyond any earthly faculty. What is more, Jesus demonstrates a kingship that revolutionary – that is not about asserting and protecting power, but about humility, service and sacrifice.

Profession of Faith

All:

I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried;
he descended into hell;
on the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty;
from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting. Amen.

Prayer of the Faithful

Leader:

We have listened to God’s word.
Moved by that word,
let us pray to God for our needs and the needs of the world.

Reader:

That the Church will model servant leadership in the way of Christ.
We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

That governments around the world will serve the good of their people, and not their own motives.
We pray to the Lord. ℟

That people throughout the world may be able to determine their own destiny through healthy democracy.
We pray to the Lord. ℟

That we will commit ourselves anew to caring for the poor, the vulnerable and the marginalised.
We pray to the Lord. ℟

That the sick will be healed and strengthened.
We pray to the Lord. ℟

That those who have died, especially those who have died from COVID, enjoy eternal life.
We pray to the Lord. ℟

Leader:

Lord, listen our prayers
which we make through Christ our Lord.

All:

Amen.

Proclamation of Praise

Leader:

This is the day that the Lord has made,
so let us give praise to God.

Everyone prays the Gloria in excelsis together.

All:

Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of good will.

We praise you,
we bless you,
we adore you,
we glorify you,
we give you thanks for your great glory,
Lord God, heavenly King,
O God, almighty Father.

Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
you take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us;
you take away the sins of the world,
receive our prayer;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father,
have mercy on us.

For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.

Lord’s Prayer

Leader:

Let us pray the words that Jesus taught us.

All:

Our Father…

The Concluding Rites

Dismissal

All make the Sign of the Cross as the leader says:

Leader:

May God fill us with faith, hope and love,
both now and forever.

All:

Amen.

Leader:

Let us praise the Lord.

All:

Thanks be to God.

From the First Sunday of Advent (29 November), we invite you to use the resource, Celebrating At Home if you are still celebrating Sunday at home. This quality resource is provided each week by the Carmelites of Australia and Timor Leste.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This celebration is based on the Directory for Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest, Congregation for Divine Worship, 1988; and Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest: Directives for the Dioceses of Australia, Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, 2004. In Pastoral Handbook for the Dioceses of Australia: Sunday Celebration of the Word, Sunday Celebration of the Hours, © National Liturgical Commission (Australia), 2004, published by The Liturgical Commission, Brisbane.

Psalm texts used in the Proclamation of Praise from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. All rights reserved.

Other texts, homily video and graphics not from sources acknowledged above are produced by Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Wentworthville for prayer at home during the period of time that Masses are suspended and/or Sunday obligation is dispensed in the Diocese of Parramatta due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This resource can be used for personal, non-profit use, and only for its intended purpose.