MASS IN TIME OF PANDEMIC
Entrance Antiphon
Truly the Lord has borne our infirmities,
and he has carried our sorrows. (Is 53:4)
Collect
Almighty and eternal God,
our refuge in every danger,
to whom we turn in our distress;
in faith we pray
look with compassion on the afflicted,
grant eternal rest to the dead, comfort to mourners,
healing to the sick, peace to the dying,
strength to healthcare workers, wisdom to our leaders
and the courage to reach out to all in love,
so that together we may give glory to your holy name.
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.
LITURGY OF THE WORD
A reading from the Book of Lamentations
My soul is shut out from peace;
I have forgotten happiness.
And now I say, ‘My strength is gone,
that hope which came from the Lord.’
Brooding on my anguish and affliction
is gall and wormwood.
My spirit ponders continually
and sinks within me.
This is what I shall tell my heart,
and so recover hope:
the favours of the Lord are not all past,
his kindnesses are not all exhausted;
every morning they are renewed;
great is his faithfulness.
‘My portion is the Lord’ says my soul
‘and so I will hope in him.’
The Lord is good to those who trust in him,
to the soul that searches for him.
It is good to wait in silence
for the Lord to save.
The word of the Lord
Responsorial Psalm
(R) Let your face shine on us, O Lord,
And we shall be saved.
O shepherd of Israel, hear us,
shine forth fro your cherubim throne.
O Lord, rouse up your might. (R)
Lord God of hosts, how long
will you frown on your people plea?
You have fed them with tears for their bread,
and abundance of tears for their drink.
You have made us the taunt of our neighbours,
our enemies laugh us to scorn. (R)
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Blessed be God, a gentle Father
and the God of all consolation.
Who comforts us in all our sorrows.
Alleluia!
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark
With the coming of evening, Jesus said to the disciples, ‘Let us cross over to the other side’. And leaving the crowd behind they took him, just as he was, in the boat; and there were other boats with him. Then it began to blow a gale and the waves were breaking into the boat so that it was almost swamped. But he was in the stern, his head on the cushion, asleep. They woke him and said to him, ‘Master, do you not care? We are going down!’ And he woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Quiet now! Be calm!’ And the wind dropped, and all was calm again. Then he said to them, ‘Why are you so frightened? How is it that you have no faith? They were filled with awe and said to one another, ‘Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey him.’
The Gospel of the Lord
Sermon – please click here
Prayers of the Faithful – please click here
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept, O Lord, the gifts we offer
in this time of peril.
May they become for us, by your power,
a source of healing and peace.
Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon
Come to me, all who labour and are burdened,
and I will refresh you, says the Lord. (Mt 11:28)
Prayer after Communion
O God, from whose hand we have received
the medicine of eternal life,
grant that through this sacrament
we may glory in the fullness of heavenly healing.
Through Christ our Lord.
Prayer over the People
O God, protector of all who hope in you,
bless your people, keep them safe,
defend them, prepare them,
that, free from sin and safe from the enemy,
they may persevere always in your love.
Through Christ our Lord.
Short Reflections on the Liturgy of the Word
First Reading
The first reading from the Book of Lamentations is a reminder to us that in the midst of our troubles and sorrows, we can turn to God who is faithful and kind. Let us trust in God’s love and keep searching for God in our lives. Importantly, in these days when we are all somewhat isolated, let us listen to God’s voice I the silence. As the Sacred Scriptures say today;
‘It is good to wait in silence for the Lord to save.’
The Psalm
Then the Psalm is the prayer of one in trouble, asking for God’s help. We all know this feeling in our own lives, indeed the world is experiencing this at the moment. But let us have the faith and courage of the psalmist who is able to pray,
‘Let your face shine on us O Lord,
and we shall be saved.’
Gospel Acclamation
A reminder that God is our gentle Father, the one who is with us to bring consolation to us whenever we are in need. May we during this Mass ask for God’s consolation and comfort upon the world today.
The Gospel
In the beautiful Gospel for this Mass, we see the contrast between the disciples of Jesus who are afraid due to the storms around them and the complete peace that Jesus has in the midst of the storm.
In the storms of our own lives, amidst the storm of the Coronavirus, may we entrust our lives to God’s presence and know that despite what is happening around us, God is with us and with God we can find peace Let us have faith is Jesus.