O SACRAMENT MOST HOLY
Service One
(Music is taken from the collection Becoming the Body of Christ – Dublin Diocesan Liturgy Resource Centre)
Processional Song O Sacrament Most Holy (Arr. Ian Callanan)
All sing: O Sacrament most holy, O Sacrament divine
All praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine.
I am the bread of life, come down from heav’n come down to bring life.
All who eat this bread, will never hunger again.
All sing: O Sacrament most holy, O Sacrament divine
All praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine.
I am the wine of hope, poured out for you, for life renewed.
All who drink this cup, will never thirst again.
All sing: O Sacrament most holy, O Sacrament divine
All praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine.
I am the resurrection, the life for all who follow my way.
All who believe in me, will never die but live.
All sing: O Sacrament most holy, O Sacrament divine
All praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine.
Reading Matthew 26:26 -29
Now as they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and when he had said the blessing he broke it and gave it to his disciples and said: ‘Take it and eat it; this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and when he had returned thanks he gave it to them saying: ‘Drink all of you from this, for this is my blood, the blood of the covenant, which is to be poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. From now on, I tell you, I shall not drink wine until the day I drink the new wine with you in the kingdom of my Father’.
Prayer For the nourishment you give us
All say: We give you praise and thanks
For the strength you offer us
All say: We give you praise and thanks
For the goodness you show us
All say: We give you praise and thanks
For your presence in times of crisis
All say: We give you praise and thanks
For the generosity of your love
All say: We give you praise and thanks
For the gift of your forgiveness
All say: We give you praise and thanks
Silent Prayer
Reading Matthew 26:30, 36
After psalms had been sung they left for the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus came with them to a small estate called the Garden of Gethsemane; and he said to the disciples, ‘Stay here while I go over to pray’.
Song Come Adore This Wondrous Presence (Ronan McDonagh)
Come adore this wondrous presence,
bow to Christ the source of grace.
Here is kept the ancient promise of God’s earthly dwelling place.
Sight is blind before God’s glory, faith alone may see his face.
Glory be to God the Father, praise to his eternal Son.
Adoration to the Spirit, bond of love, in Godhead one.
Blest be God by all creation, joyously while ages run, Amen.
Prayer When I find it difficult to pray
You are with me, Jesus
When I cannot concentrate
You are with me, Jesus
When I lose patience with myself
You are with me, Jesus
When I give in to distractions
You are with me, Jesus
When I focus too much on myself
You are with me, Jesus
When I ignore you
You are with me, Jesus
Silent Prayer
Reading Matthew 26:37-39
He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with him. And sadness came over him, and great distress. Then he said to them: ‘My soul is sorrowful to the point of death. Wait here and keep awake with me.’ And going on a little further he fell on his face and prayed: ‘My Father, if it is possible let this cup pass me by. Nevertheless, let is be as you, not I, would have it.’
Song Soul of My Saviour (William Maher)
All sing: Soul of my Saviour, sanctify thy breast
Body of Christ, be thou my saving guest
Blood of my Saviour, bathe me in thy tide,
Wash me with water flowing from thy side.
Strength and protection, may thy passion be,
O blessed Jesus, hear and answer me
Deep in thy wounds, Lord, hide and shelter me,
So shall I never, never part from thee.
Guard and defend me, from the foe malign
In death’s dread moments, make me only thine.
Call me, and bid me, come to thee on high
When I may praise thee, with thy saints for aye.
Song Panis Angelicus (César Franck)
Prayer Even when I doubt my own worth
All say: Jesus, you give me strength
Even when I stray from the path of goodness
All say: Jesus, you give me strength
Even when I allow others put me down
All say: Jesus, you give me strength
Even when I lose faith in you
All say: Jesus, you give me strength
Even when I give in to despair
All say: Jesus, you give me strength
Even when I am obsessed my own faults
All say: Jesus, you give me strength
Silent Prayer
Reading Matthew 26:40-41
He came back to the disciples and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, So you had not the strength to keep awake with me one hour? You should be awake, and praying not to be put to the test. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.’
Music Instrumental
Prayer You have conquered death
All say: We proclaim your death and resurrection
You have triumphed over evil
All say: We proclaim your death and resurrection
You are light in the darkness
All say: We proclaim your death and resurrection
You are hope for the future
All say: We proclaim your death and resurrection
You are the source of new life
Silent Prayer
Reading Matthew 26: 42-45
Again, a second time, he went away and prayed: ‘My Father,’ he said ‘if this cup cannot pass by without my drinking it, your will be done!’ And he came back again and prayed for the third time, repeating the same words. Then he came back to the disciples and said to them, ‘You can sleep on now and take your rest.
Song St. Patrick’s Breastplate (John O’Keefe)
Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ before me today.
Christ be behind me, Christ to win me,
Christ to guide me on my way.
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ be with me today.
Christ in resting, Christ in rising,
Christ the Lord of my life.
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ my shield in the strife.
Christ in ev’ry heart that is broken,
Chris in ev’ry word as it’s spoken.
Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ before me today.
Prayer When we are feeling hopeless and lost
All say: Remain with us, Lord
When we are blind to our own goodness
All say: Remain with us, Lord
When we feel abandoned and alone
All say: Remain with us, Lord
When we face difficult decisions
All say: Remain with us, Lord
When we are ill or worried
All say: Remain with us, Lord
When we others let us down
All say: Remain with us, Lord
Silent Prayer
Incensation
Song Tantum Ergo (Plainchant)
Divine Praises
Blessed be God.
Blessed be His Holy Name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man.
Blessed be the Name of Jesus.
Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart.
Blessed be His Most Precious Blood.
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.
Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Conception.
Blessed be her glorious Assumption.
Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.
Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse.
Blessed be God in His angels and in His Saints.
Song Remain With Us Lord (Patrice O’Connor)
All sing; Remain with us, Lord, we pray you, Alleluia.
BECOMING THE BODY OF CHRIST
Service 2
SongCome Adore This Wondrous Presence (Ronan McDonagh)
Come adore this wondrous presence,
bow to Christ the source of grace
Here is kept the ancient promise of God’s earthly dwelling place.
Sight is blind before God’s glory, faith alone may see his face.
Glory be to God the Father, praise to his eternal Son.
Adoration to the Spirit, bond of love, in Godhead one.
Blest be God by all creation, joyously while ages run, Amen.
Incensation
Reading Luke 9:11-17
Jesus made the crowds welcome and talked to them about the kingdom of God; and he cured those who were in need of healing. It was late afternoon when the Twelve came to him and said, ‘Send the people away, they can go to the villages and farms round about to find lodging and food; for we are in a lonely place here.’ He replied, ‘Give them something to eat yourselves.’ But they said, ‘We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we are to go ourselves and buy food for all these people.’ For there were about five thousand there. But he said to his disciples, ‘Get them to sit down in parties of about fifty.’ They did so and made them all sit down. Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to heaven and said the blessing over them; then he broke them and handed them to his disciples to distribute among the crowd. Theyall ate as much as they wanted, and when the scraps remaining were collected they filled twelve baskets.
Reflection Pope Benedict XVI referred to this Gospel story when he said:
‘Keeping in mind the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, we need to realise that Christ continues today to exhort his disciples to become personally engaged: “You yourselves give them something to eat”. Each of us is truly called, together with Jesus, to be bread broken for the life of the world.’
Song Eat This Bread (Taizé)
All sing: Eat this bread, drink this cup
Come to me and never be hungry.
Eat this bread, drink this cup
Trust in me and you will not thirst
Reflection Archbishop Oscar Romero was assassinated while celebrating the Eucharist in his Cathedral in El Salvador on 24 Marcy 1980. He challenges us today with these words: “There are so many hungry people in this world, and their hunger is more than physical. Children are starving for love and affection. The elderly are groaning out of loneliness. People in our families and circle of friends are craving our time and attention. The poor and sick yearn for care and understanding. The wealthy hunger for meaning. Our challenge as Eucharistic people is to become the Bread of Life for others. As St. Augustine put it: ‘Become what you receive.’ We, as Christians, must become the bread that feeds the hungry people around us. We are called to feed others with love, care, compassion, concern, hospitality, and justice. This is precisely what we commit ourselves to at each Eucharist when we say ‘Amen’. We should think twice before we say it. To receive the Eucharist is to make the commitment to become the Eucharist—for whomever needs it. Indeed, if we do not intend to ‘become what we receive’, we would do well to absent ourselves from the communion line.”
Music Instrumental
The Third Mystery of Light – the Proclamation of the Kingdom of God.
The kingdom of God is a kingdom of reconciliation – where the blessed are those who are gentle, peacemakers and those who suffer for what is right. The work of building up the kingdom is for all of us – today and everyday. As a Eucharistic people this is the work of ‘becoming the body of Christ’.
Scripture
After John had been arrested Jesus went into Galilee. There he proclaimed the Good News from God – ‘the time has come’ he said ‘and the kingdom of God is close at hand – repent and believe the Good News’.
Jesus we know from your own words those who you call blessed. Help us to respond to your call to conversion, so that we may build up your kingdom here and now, creating a blessed place for all people.
Decade
Song O Sacrament Most Holy (Arr. Ian Callanan)
The Fifth Mystery of Light – The Institution of the Eucharist
At the Last Supper Jesus left us a wonderful legacy of love and sacrifice. It continues in the Masses celebrated all over the world today. In the Eucharist Jesus offers us his body and blood for our nourishment under the signs of bread and wine.
Scripture
‘And as they were eating he took some bread, and when he had said the blessing he broke it and gave it to them. ‘Take it,’ he said ‘this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and when he had returned thanks he gave it to them, and all drank from it, and he said to them, ‘This is my blood, the blood of the new covenant, which is to be poured out for many’.
Decade
Song God’s Holy Gifts (Bernard Sexton)
All sing: God’s holy gifts for God’s holy people
Draw near to receive them with praise and thanksgiving.
Reflection Gathered in your name, Lord, we lift up to you all those who suffer as a result of abuse of any kind. Lead them on the road of healing and help them every step of the way. We pray that your words of comfort will touch the hearts of those who have been betrayed and abused. Through the power of the Eucharist fill us with resolve to work that this will never happen again for nothing is impossible to you.
Song Ave Verum (Mozart/Elgar/Byrd/Saint-Saens)
Reading Luke 24:28-30
When they drew near to the village to which they were going, he made as if to go on; but they pressed him to stay with them. ’It is nearly evening’ they said ‘and the day is almost over’. So he went in to stay with them.
Song St. Patrick’s Breastplate (John O’Keefe)
Prayer
God most high,
you have blessed all generations
in Jesus our compassionate Saviour,
for through him you invite us to your kingdom,
welcome us to your table,
and provide us with nourishment in abundance.
Teach us to imitate your unfailing kindness
and to build up Christ’s body, the Church,
by generously handing on to others
the gifts we have received from your bounty.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Though We Are Many
Service 3
Song Though we Are Many (Bernard Sexton)
All sing: Though we are many, we are one body,
We who come to share this living bread.
Cup of salvation, poured among all nations,
Nourishing us now and evermore.
Verse 1. We gather in this place, round the table of the Lord.
Christ’s presence is revealed, in our communion and his living Word. – Though we are many …
Verse 2. Now our communion recalls
Christ’s death and resurrection.
This living sacrifice is our salvation,
Now and evermore. – Though we are many …
Reading I Corinthians 10:16-17
The blessing-cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ, and the bread that we break is a communion with the body of Christ. The fact that there is only one loaf means that, though there are many of us, we form a single body because we all have a share in this one loaf.
Song Soul of my Saviour (W. J. Maher)
Prayer
As we reach out to the poor: unite us at your table
As we serve you in each other: unite us at your table
As we share a sign of peace: unite us at your table
As we drink the cup of suffering: unite us at your table
As we eat the bread of hope: unite us at your table
Becoming the Living Christ
Whenever we come together around the table, take bread, bless it, break it and give it to one another, saying: ‘The Body of Christ’, we know that Jesus is among us. He is among us not as a vague memory of a person who lived long ago but as a real, life-giving presence that transforms us. By eating the Body of Christ, we become the living Christ and we are enabled to discover our own chosen-ness and blessedness, acknowledge our brokenness, and trust that all we live, we live for others. Thus we, like Jesus himself become food for the world.
(Bread for the Journey – Henri Nouwen)
The Second Mystery of Light – The Wedding at Cana
The Wedding Feast of Cana is a celebration of trust when Mary encourages the people to do as Jesus tells them. By this sign Jesus opens the hearts of those around him to believe in him and to trust in him.
Music Instrumental – Ag an bPósadh bhí i gCána
Scripture John 2:1, 5-9
There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee. The mother of Jesus was there and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited. His mother said to the servants ‘do whatever he tells you’. There were six stone water jars standing there meant for the ablutions that are customary among the Jews each could hold twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants ‘Fill the jars with water’ and they filled them to the brim. ‘Draw some out now’ he told them ‘and take it to the steward’. They did this. The steward tasted the water and it had turned into wine.
Prayer
Jesus, we often look for signs and wonders as proof of your presence today. Miracles can happen when we take into our hearts the words of your mother, Mary, – ‘Do whatever he tells you’. Encouraged by Mary, the first believer, you opened the hearts of your people to faith at Cana. May we have the courage to trust in you especially at times of doubt and hesitation.
Decade
Song St. Patrick’s Breastplate (John O’Keefe)
The Fifth Mystery of Light – The Institution of the Eucharist
At the Last Supper Jesus left us a wonderful legacy of love and sacrifice. It continues in the Masses celebrated all over the world today. In the Eucharist Jesus offers us his body and blood for our nourishment under the signs of bread and wine.
Song Though We Are Many (Bernard Sexton)All sing: Though we are many, we are one body,
We who come to share this living bread.
Cup of salvation, shared among all nations.
Nourishing us now and evermore.
Scripture Mark 14; 22-24
‘And as they were eating he took some bread, and when he had said the blessing he broke it and gave it to them. ‘Take it,’ he said ‘this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and when he had returned thanks he gave it to them, and all drank from it, and he said to them, ‘This is my blood, the blood of the new covenant, which is to be poured out for many’.
Prayer
Jesus, we know that when we receive at the Eucharistic table we say ‘Amen’ to the sacrifice of love offered to us, we say ‘Amen’ to a life of imitation of that love, we say ‘Amen’ to a life of service to our brothers and sisters.
You give us the gift of your body and blood to nourish and sustain us. As we share in the cup of life and the bread of salvation may we follow your example of love and service.
Decade (Irish)
All sing: Though we are many, we are one body,
We who come to share this living bread.
Cup of salvation, shared among all nations.
Nourishing us now and evermore.
Reading Deuteronomy 8:14-16
‘Do not then forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery: who guided you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, a land of fiery serpents, scorpions, thirst; who in this wilderness fed you with manna that your fathers had not known.
Song How Can I Repay The Lord? (Liam Lawton)
Prayer
When we walk in darkness: Christ be our light
When others let us down: Christ be our light
When our faith is tested: Christ be our light
When we are lost: Christ be our light
When we are hopeless: Christ be our light
Reflection
Francois Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan was a Bishop from Vietnam who spent thirteen years of imprisonment at the hands of the communists. Each day he celebrated Mass with a few drops of wine and one drop of water in the palm of his hand. He made a new eternal pact with Jesus, to drink with him, his bitter chalice. When he was sent to a re-education camp, he joined a group of fifty prisoners. They slept in a common bunk, with only fifty centimetres of space for each. In bed, he celebrated Mass by heart, and distributed communion by passing his hand under the mosquito net. He always carried the Eucharistic Christ in his shirt. During the weekly indoctrination session the Archbishop, with the help of his Catholic companions, passed the Eucharist to the other prisoners. They all know that Jesus was among them, and, at night, the prisoners took turns at Adoration. The Eucharistic presence caused many Catholics to believe again and their testimony of service and love made an ever greater impact on the other prisoners, even some Buddhists and non-Christians embraced the faith. The darkness of the prison became a paschal light.
(Contemplating Jesus through the Eyes of Mary – Brendan Leahy and Fergus McGlynn)
Song O Sacrament Most Holy (Verses and Arrangement – Ian Callanan)
Reading John 6:51
‘I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Any one who eats this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh for the life of the world.’
At the Service of the Least
I think of the tragedy of hunger which plagues hundreds of millions of human beings, the diseases which afflict developing countries, the loneliness of the elderly, the hardships faced by the unemployed, the struggles of immigrants. These are evils that are present – albeit – to a different degree – even in areas of immense wealth. We cannot delude ourselves: by our mutual love and, in particular, by our concern for those in need we will be recognised as true followers of Christ. This will be the criterion by which the authenticity of our Eucharistic celebrations is judged. (Mane Nobiscum Domine – Blessed John Paul II)
Verse 2. I am the wine of hope poured out for you, for life renewed.
All who drink this cup will never thirst again.
All sing: O Sacrament Most Holy, O Sacrament Divine.
All praise and all thanksgiving
Prayer
To your presence in the Eucharist… Open our eyes, Lord
To your presence within us… Open our eyes, Lord
To your presence among us… Open our eyes, Lord
To your presence in our neighbour… Open our eyes, Lord
To your presence in those who need help… Open our eyes, Lord
To your presence in the broken Open our eyes, Lord
To your call to serve… Open our eyes, Lord
Communion with Jesus
Our relationship with God is established through communion with Jesus – we cannot achieve it alone. The relationship with Jesus, however, is a relationship with one who gave himself as a ransom for all. Being in communion with Jesus Christ draws us into his ‘being for all’; it makes it our own way of being. He commits us to live for others, but only through communion with him does it become possible truly to be there for others, for the whole. (Spe Salvi –Benedict XVI)
Song Come Adore This Wondrous Presence (Ronan McDonagh)
Incensation
Song Tantum Ergo (Plainchant)
The Divine Praises
Prayer
God most high,
you have blessed all generations
in Jesus our compassionate Saviour,
for through him you invite us to your kingdom,
welcome us to your table,
and provide us with nourishment in abundance.
Teach us to imitate your unfailing kindnessand to build up Christ’s body, the Church,
by generously handing on to others
the gifts we have received from your bounty.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.