Fourth Sunday of Lent
Come back to me
with all your heart.
Don't let fear keep us apart.
Trees do bend,
though straight and tall;
so must we to others' call.
Long have I waited
for your coming
home to me and living
deeply our new life.
The wilderness will lead you
to your heart
where I will speak.
Integrity and justice
with tenderness you shall know.
Long have I waited
for your coming
home to me and living
deeply our new life.
You shall sleep secure
with peace; faithfulness
will be your joy.
Long have I waited
for your coming
home to me and living
deeply our new life.
Psalmody
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 O God, my God, I give you thanks; you are my God, I shall proclaim your glory.
Psalm 118
Song of joy for salvation
(Acts 4:11).
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, *
for his love endures forever.
Let the sons of Israel say: *
“His love endures for ever.”
Let the sons of Aaron say: *
“His love endures for ever.”
Let those who fear the Lord say: *
“His love endures for ever.”
I called to the Lord in my distress; *
he answered and freed me.
The Lord is at my side; I do not fear. *
what can man do against me?
The Lord is at my side as my helper:*
I shall look down on my foes.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord *
than to trust in men;
it is better to take refuge in the Lord *
than to trust in princes.
The nations all encompassed me; *
in the Lord’s name I crushed them.
They compassed me, compassed me about; *
in the Lord’s name I crushed them.
They compassed me about like bees; †
they blazed like a fire among thorns. *
In the Lord’s name I crushed them.
I was hard-pressed and was falling, *
but the Lord came to help me.
The Lord is my strength and my song; *
he is my savior.
There are shouts of joy and victory *
in the tents of the just.
The Lord’s right hand has triumphed; *
his right hand raised me.
The Lord’s right hand has triumphed; †
I shall not die, I shall live *
and recount his deeds.
I was punished, I was punished by the Lord, *
but not doomed to die.
Open to me the gates of holiness: *
I will enter and give thanks.
This is the Lord’s own gate *
where the just may enter.
I will thank you for you have answered *
and you are my savior.
The stone which the builders rejected *
has become the corner stone.
This is the work of the Lord, *
a marvel in our eyes.
This day was made by the Lord; *
we rejoice and are glad.
O Lord, grant us salvation; *
O Lord, grant success.
Blessed in the name of the Lord *
is he who comes.
We bless you from the house of the Lord; *
the Lord God is our light.
Go forward in procession with branches *
even to the altar.
You are my God, I thank you. *
My God, I praise you.
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; *
for his love endures for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,*
and will be forever. Amen.
Psalm Prayer
Lord God, you have given us the great day of rejoicing: Jesus Christ, the stone rejected by the builders, has become the cornerstone of the Church, our spiritual home. Shed upon your Church the rays of your glory, that it may be seen as the gate of salvation open to all nations. Let cries of joy and exultation ring out from its tents, to celebrate the wonder of Christ’s resurrection.
Ant. O God, my God, I give you thanks; you are my God, I shall proclaim your glory.
Ant. 2 God of might, deliver us; free us from the power of the enemy.
Canticle: Daniel 3:52-57
Let all creatures praise the Lord
(Romans 1:25).
Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers, *
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name, *
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.
Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory, *
praiseworthy and glorious above all forever.
Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom, *
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
Blessed are you who look into the depths †
from your throne upon the cherubim, *
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven, *
praiseworthy and glorious forever.
Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord, *
praise and exalt him above all forever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,*
and will be forever. Amen.
Ant. God of might, deliver us; free us from the power of the enemy.
Ant. 3 Praise God for his mighty deeds.
Psalm 150
Praise the Lord
(Hesychius).
Praise God in his holy place, *
praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his powerful deeds, *
praise his surpassing greatness.
O praise him with sound of trumpet, *
praise him with lute and harp.
Praise him with timbrel and dance, *
praise him with strings and pipes.
O praise him with resounding cymbals, *
praise him with clashing of cymbals.
Let everything that lives and that breathes *
give praise to the Lord.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,*
and will be forever. Amen.
Psalm Prayer
Lord God, maker of heaven and earth and of all created things, you make your just ones holy and you justify sinners who confess your name. Hear us as we humbly pray to you: give us eternal joy with your saints.
Ant. Praise God for his mighty deeds.
1st Reading
1 Sm 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a
A reading from the first Book of Samuel
The LORD said to Samuel:
“Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way.
I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem,
for I have chosen my king from among his sons.”
As Jesse and his sons came to the sacrifice,
Samuel looked at Eliab and thought,
“Surely the LORD’s anointed is here before him.”
But the LORD said to Samuel:
“Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature,
because I have rejected him.
Not as man sees does God see,
because man sees the appearance
but the LORD looks into the heart.”
In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel,
but Samuel said to Jesse,
“The LORD has not chosen any one of these.”
Then Samuel asked Jesse,
“Are these all the sons you have?”
Jesse replied,
“There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep.”
Samuel said to Jesse,
“Send for him;
we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here.”
Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them.
He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold
and making a splendid appearance.
The LORD said,
“There—anoint him, for this is the one!”
Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand,
anointed David in the presence of his brothers;
and from that day on, the spirit of the LORD rushed upon David.
Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm
℟. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
℟. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
℟. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
℟. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
℟. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
2nd Reading
Eph 5:8-14
A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians
Brothers and sisters:
You were once darkness,
but now you are light in the Lord.
Live as children of light,
for light produces every kind of goodness
and righteousness and truth.
Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness;
rather expose them, for it is shameful even to mention
the things done by them in secret;
but everything exposed by the light becomes visible,
for everything that becomes visible is light.
Therefore, it says:
“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will give you light.”
Thanks be to God.
Glory to You,
Lord Jesus Christ,
Son of the Living God.
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life.
Glory to You,
Lord Jesus Christ,
Son of the Living God.
Gospel
Jn 9:1-41 or 9:1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38
✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth.
His disciples asked him,
“Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents,
that he was born blind?”
Jesus answered,
“Neither he nor his parents sinned;
it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him.
We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day.
Night is coming when no one can work.
While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
When he had said this, he spat on the ground
and made clay with the saliva,
and smeared the clay on his eyes,
and said to him,
“Go wash in the Pool of Siloam”—which means Sent—.
So he went and washed, and came back able to see.
His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said,
“Isn’t this the one who used to sit and beg?”
Some said, “It is,“
but others said, “No, he just looks like him.”
He said, “I am.”
So they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?”
He replied,
“The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes
and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’
So I went there and washed and was able to see.”
And they said to him, “Where is he?”
He said, “I don’t know.”
They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees.
Now Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a sabbath.
So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see.
He said to them,
“He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.”
So some of the Pharisees said,
“This man is not from God,
because he does not keep the sabbath.”
But others said,
“How can a sinful man do such signs?”
And there was a division among them.
So they said to the blind man again,
“What do you have to say about him,
since he opened your eyes?”
He said, “He is a prophet.”
Now the Jews did not believe
that he had been blind and gained his sight
until they summoned the parents of the one who had gained his sight.
They asked them,
“Is this your son, who you say was born blind?
How does he now see?”
His parents answered and said,
“We know that this is our son and that he was born blind.
We do not know how he sees now,
nor do we know who opened his eyes.
Ask him, he is of age;
he can speak for himself.”
His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews,
for the Jews had already agreed
that if anyone acknowledged him as the Christ,
he would be expelled from the synagogue.
For this reason his parents said,
“He is of age; question him.”
So a second time they called the man who had been blind
and said to him, “Give God the praise!
We know that this man is a sinner.”
He replied,
“If he is a sinner, I do not know.
One thing I do know is that I was blind and now I see.”
So they said to him,
“What did he do to you?
How did he open your eyes?”
He answered them,
“I told you already and you did not listen.
Why do you want to hear it again?
Do you want to become his disciples, too?”
They ridiculed him and said,
“You are that man’s disciple;
we are disciples of Moses!
We know that God spoke to Moses,
but we do not know where this one is from.”
The man answered and said to them,
“This is what is so amazing,
that you do not know where he is from, yet he opened my eyes.
We know that God does not listen to sinners,
but if one is devout and does his will, he listens to him.
It is unheard of that anyone ever opened the eyes of a person born blind.
If this man were not from God,
he would not be able to do anything.”
They answered and said to him,
“You were born totally in sin,
and are you trying to teach us?”
Then they threw him out.
When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out,
he found him and said, ADo you believe in the Son of Man?”
He answered and said,
“Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?”
Jesus said to him,
“You have seen him,
the one speaking with you is he.”
He said,
“I do believe, Lord,” and he worshiped him.
Then Jesus said,
“I came into this world for judgment,
so that those who do not see might see,
and those who do see might become blind.”
Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this
and said to him, “Surely we are not also blind, are we?”
Jesus said to them,
“If you were blind, you would have no sin;
but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains.
Or: [Shorter Form]
As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth.
He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva,
and smeared the clay on his eyes, and said to him,
“Go wash in the Pool of Siloam”—which means Sent—.
So he went and washed, and came back able to see.
His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said,
“Isn’t this the one who used to sit and beg?”
Some said, “It is, “
but others said, “No, he just looks like him.”
He said, “I am.”
They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees.
Now Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a sabbath.
So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see.
He said to them,
“He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.”
So some of the Pharisees said,
“This man is not from God,
because he does not keep the sabbath.”
But others said,
“How can a sinful man do such signs?”
And there was a division among them.
So they said to the blind man again,
“What do you have to say about him,
since he opened your eyes?”
He said, “He is a prophet.”
They answered and said to him,
“You were born totally in sin,
and are you trying to teach us?”
Then they threw him out.
When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out,
he found him and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
He answered and said,
“Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?”
Jesus said to him,
“You have seen him, and
the one speaking with you is he.”
He said,
“I do believe, Lord,” and he worshiped him.
At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:
The Gospel of the Lord.
All reply:
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Then he kisses the book, saying quietly:
Through the words of the Gospel
may our sins be wiped away.
The Creed is said.
Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.
Apostles Creed
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
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to hell.
On the third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended to 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.
O Diyos, awang ’di mabilang,
tanggapin Mo yaring aming alay;
gawin ito bilang tanda
ng aming kaligtasan.
Narito O Ama, alak at tinapay,
bunga ng lupa at ng aming paggawa.
O Diyos, awang ’di mabilang
tanggapin Mo yaring aming alay
gawing alaala ng pagkamatay,
muling pagkabuhay ni Hesukristo.
Narito O Ama, alak at tinapay,
bunga ng lupa at ng aming paggawa.
O Diyos, awang ’di mabilang
tanggapin Mo yaring aming alay;
sa bisa nitong sakripisyo,
mapasa amin ang buhay na walang hanggan.
Narito O Ama, alak at tinapay,
bunga ng lupa at ng aming paggawa.
M. V. Francisco, SJ
Santo, Santo, Santo Panginoong Diyos.
Napupuno ang langit at lupa
ng kadakilaan Mo.
Osana, osana,
osana sa kaitaasan!
Osana, osana,
osana sa kaitaasan!
Pinagpala ang naparirito
sa ngalan ng Panginoon.
Osana, osana,
osana sa kaitaasan!
Osana, osana,
osana sa kaitaasan!
Dan Schutte, SJ
Save us, save us,
Savior of the world,
for by your Cross and Resurrection,
you have set us free.
Our Father,
who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our
daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors;
and lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us
from evil.
For thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever. Amen.
M.V. Francisco, SJ
Kordero ng Diyos na
nag-aalis ng mga kasalanan
ng sanlibutan,
maawa Ka sa amin.
Kordero ning Dios a milalaco
king kasalanan ning meto yatu,
pacaluluan mu kami.
Agnus Dei qui tollis
peccata mundi,
dona nobis pacem,
dona nobis pacem,
dona nobis pacem.
Manlamig man sa Akin
puso mong maramdamin,
lisanin man ng tuwa
puso mong namamanglaw.
Manginig man sa takot
masindakin mong puso,
mag-ulap man sa lungkot
diwa mong mapag-imbot.
Kapiling mo
Akong laging naghihintay
sa tanging tawag mo;
Pag-ibig kong ito
isang pananabik sa puso ko
sa‘yong pagbabalik sa piling
Kong puspos ng pagsuyo.
Manahimik at makinig ka’t
maging Akin muli.
Di mo rin akalain
tinig mo’y hanap Ko rin.
Ang ‘yong tuwa at sakit
aking galak at pait.
Kung lingid pa sa iyo
aking pakikiloob.
Tuklasin mong totoo
tunay mong pagkatao.
Kapiling mo
Akong laging naghihintay
sa tanging tawag mo;
Pag-ibig kong ito
isang pananabik sa puso ko
sa‘yong pagbabalik sa piling
Kong puspos ng pagsuyo.
Manahimik at makinig ka’t
maging Akin muli.
Kapiling mo
Akong laging naghihintay
sa tanging tawag mo;
Pag-ibig kong ito
isang pananabik sa puso ko
sa‘yong pagbabalik sa piling
Kong puspos ng pagsuyo.
Manahimik at makinig ka’t
maging Akin muli.
Gospel Canticle
Ant. It was unheard of for anyone to open the eyes of a man born blind until the coming of Christ, the Son of God.
Canticle of Zechariah
Luke 1:68-79
The Messiah and his forerunner
Blessed + be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old †
that he would save us from our enemies, *
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers *
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: *
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear, *
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High; *
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation *
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God *
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, *
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. It was unheard of for anyone to open the eyes of a man born blind until the coming of Christ, the Son of God.
It’s time for us to make
our dreams come true.
A guiding voice
will tell us what to do.
It’s the time to change
ourselves and show the world
that we still care for men
and we’ll lead them there.
We’ll lead them to
a place beyond the sea.
A place of love where
everyone is free.
Don’t despair the path
to happiness is wide.
If we must change our ways
call on God for our guide.