CL3E – Mass

Details

Saturday 6:30 pm 40 min

Before the Seminar:

The facilitators should have settled with the priest whether they will use the Readings of the Day or the liturgy prepared by CL. If you are using readings of the day, have a missal on hand for the readers. If possible mark out sections for each husband or wife to read.

Provide a copy of this outline to the priest, pointing out the homily notes.

Before mass:
- ask two couples to read each of the readings (three couples if doing the mass of the day for the 2nd reading).
- recruit some confident singers to lead the singing.
- make sure you have, or the priest has, a mass kit and missal

Check with the priest if there is anything he needs (eg wine, water).

OBJECTIVES

§  To celebrate and gives thanks for their marriages and what they have accomplished during the day.

§  To set a festive tone for the evening

§  To introduce the focus for the second day – fruitfulness

KEY TEACHING POINTS

§  Go out and bear fruit – fruit that will last.


CL3F – Mass

Gathering

When the priest is ready, start the opening hymn.

Gathering Song

Open Our Eyes
Jesse Manibusan, Oregon Catholic Press
Used with Permission, Word of Life International Lic #2365 / Open our eyes, Lord, Help us to see your face.
Open our eyes, Lord, Help us to see.
Open our ears, Lord, Help us to hear your voice.
Open our ears Lord, Help us to hear.
Open our hearts, Lord. Help us to love like you.
Open our hearts, Lord, Help us to love.
I live within you, Deep in your heart, O Love.
I live within you, Rest now in me.
Greeting / In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. And also with you.
Penitential Rite / As the couples have come immediately from reconciliation, the penitential rite is a little redundant. If however the priest would like to include it we recommend:
Lord Jesus, you raise us to new life; Lord have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you forgive us our sins; Christ have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you feed us with your body and blood; Lord have mercy.
Opening Prayer / Let us pray.
Father, you have called us together to celebrate the gift of married love.
Bind these couples even closer in the loving union of marriage.
Make their love passionate and fruitful so that they
may be living witnesses to your divine love in the world.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
First Reading
Song of Songs, 3:1,4-5, 4:9-10, 6:3
Or reading of the day / Wife: A Reading from the Song of Songs.
Upon my bed at night I sought him whom my soul loves;
When I found him, I held him,
and would not let him go until I brought him into my mother’s house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me.
I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
do not stir or awaken love until it is ready.
Husband:
You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride,
you have ravished my heart with a glance of your eyes,
with one jewel of your necklace.
How sweet is your love, my sister, my bride!
Wife: I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Response to the Reading (Psalm 33)
Or readings of the day / Husband:
The Response is: The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord
All: The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord
Wife: Blessed the nation whose God is the Lord,
The people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
But see, the eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness.
All: The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord
Husband: Our soul waits for the Lord, who is our help and our shield,
For him our hearts rejoice; in his holy name we trust.
All: The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord
Wife: May your kindness, O Lord, be upon us
who have put our trust in you.
All: The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord
Alleluia / All: Alleluia, Alleluia
This is my commandment, love one another as I have loved you.
Alleluia.
(In Lent, substitute ‘Alleluia’ with: Glory & praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ)
Gospel: John 15:9-12,15-16 / The Lord be with you. And also with you.
A reading from the Gospel according to John. Glory to you, Lord.
Jesus said to his disciples:
“As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you,
and that your joy may be complete.
This is my commandment, love one another as I have loved you.
I do not call you servants any longer,
because a servant does not know what the master is doing;
but I called you friends, because I have made known to you everything
I have heard from my Father.
You did not choose me, but I chose you.
And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last;
so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
All: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
Homily / Please see the “CL3g - Homily Notes” for suggested points.
Creed / As there are often a number of non-Catholics, if you wish to include the creed, we suggest the question and answer version (Apostle’s Creed)below:
Do you believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth? I do
Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He 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 the dead. On the third day he rose again;
He ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead. I do
Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. I do
Prayers of the Faithful / Father, you gather us

Celebrate Love Seminar (2006) CL3F Mass 8.2.06 Page 4