Worship along with us!

Fourth Sunday of Lent March 30, 2025

St. Mary’s uses music by permission from OCP through One License. Our license number is M-400277. All songs used in today’s Mass are used by permission.

INTRODUCTORY RITES************************

In These Days of Lenten Journey

Ricky Manalo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVaF8iRofgE&list=PLMQrJzPlip5U9-Q2kT0FDKb_pcMMQmPie&index=1

REFRAIN: In these days of Lenten journey,
We have seen and we have heard
The call to sow justice in the lives of those we serve.

We reach out to those who are homeless,
To those who live without warmth.
In the coolness of evening,
We'll shelter their dreams,
We will clothe them in mercy and peace.

REFRAIN

We open our eyes to the hungry,

and see the faces of Christ.

As we nourish all people who hunger for food,

may their faith in our God be renewed.

REFRAIN

We open our ears to the weary

and hear the cry of the poor.

To the voices that echo the song of despair,

we will show our compassion and care.

REFRAIN

We call on the Spirit of Justice

and pray for righteousness' sake.

We will sing for the freedom

of all the oppressed;

we will loosen the bonds of distress.

REFRAIN

Greeting

Bishop Tom: Welcome to St. Mary’s of Washington, DC, a parish of the National Catholic Church of North America!

Let us begin,

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

All: Amen.

Bp. Tom: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

All: And also with you.

Sign of Peace

Bp. Tom: Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your apostles: I leave you peace, my peace I give you. Look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church, and grant us the peace and unity of your kingdom where you live for ever and ever.
All: Amen.

Bp. Tom: The Peace of the Lord be with you always.
All: And also with you.

Bp. Tom: Let us offer each other a sign of peace.

Kyrie (SONG)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1yjsIygJl4&list=PLMQrJzPlip5U9-Q2kT0FDKb_pcMMQmPie&index=2

Lord Jesus, you raise us to new life

Kyrie, eleison. (Lord Have Mercy)

Kyrie, eleison.

Lord Jesus you forgive us our sins

Christe, eleison. (Christ have mercy)

Christe, eleison.

Lord Jesus, you feed us your body and blood

Kyrie, eleison. (Lord have mercy)

Kyrie, eleison.

Bishop Tom: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life!

ALL: AMEN

The Collect

Bp. Tom: Let us pray.

Father of peace,

we are joyful in your Word,

your Son Jesus, the Christ,

who reconciles us to you.

Let us hasten toward Easter

with the eagerness of faith and love.

We ask through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

God, for ever and ever.

ALL: Amen.

LITURGY OF THE WORD***********************

The first reading is from the Book of Joshua

Joshua 5:9a, 10-12

The LORD said to Joshua,
“Today I have removed the reproach of Egypt from you.”

While the Israelites were encamped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho,
they celebrated the Passover
on the evening of the fourteenth of the month.
On the day after the Passover,
they ate of the produce of the land
in the form of unleavened cakes and parched grain.
On that same day after the Passover,
on which they ate of the produce of the land, the manna ceased.
No longer was there manna for the Israelites,
who that year ate of the yield of the land of Canaan.

The Word of the Lord

ALL: Thanks be to God

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7.

https://youtu.be/2pAhR_g5-x8?si=Z_-Mey-CU59WmGyS

R. (9a) Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.

R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.

R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.

R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

The second reading is from the Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Brothers and sisters:
Whoever is in Christ is a new creation:
the old things have passed away;
behold, new things have come.
And all this is from God,
who has reconciled us to himself through Christ
and given us the ministry of reconciliation,
namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
not counting their trespasses against them
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
So we are ambassadors for Christ,
as if God were appealing through us.
We implore you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.
For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin,
so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

The Word of the Lord.

ALL: Thanks be to God

Gospel

Bp Tom to Deacon: May the Lord be in your heart and on your lips, that you may proclaim his Gospel worthily and well, in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

https://youtu.be/bKb1nsf7PXM?si=E-Ngmt3xTFsAQao7

R. Praise and honor, to You, Lord Jesus Christ

I will get up and go to my Father and shall say to him:
Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you..

Praise and honor, to you Lord Jesus Christ!

The Lord is WITH you!

ALL: And also with you!

A Reading from the Holy Gospel, according to Luke

Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So to them Jesus addressed this parable:
“A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father,
‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’
So the father divided the property between them.
After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings
and set off to a distant country
where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation.
When he had freely spent everything,
a severe famine struck that country,
and he found himself in dire need.
So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens
who sent him to his farm to tend the swine.
And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed,
but nobody gave him any.
Coming to his senses he thought,
‘How many of my father’s hired workers
have more than enough food to eat,
but here am I, dying from hunger.
I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him,
“Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
I no longer deserve to be called your son;
treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’
So he got up and went back to his father.
While he was still a long way off,
his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion.
He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.
His son said to him,
‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you;
I no longer deserve to be called your son.’
But his father ordered his servants,
‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him;
put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
Take the fattened calf and slaughter it.
Then let us celebrate with a feast,
because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again;
he was lost, and has been found.’
Then the celebration began.
Now the older son had been out in the field
and, on his way back, as he neared the house,
he heard the sound of music and dancing.
He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean.
The servant said to him,
‘Your brother has returned
and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf
because he has him back safe and sound.’
He became angry,
and when he refused to enter the house,
his father came out and pleaded with him.
He said to his father in reply,
‘Look, all these years I served you
and not once did I disobey your orders;
yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends.
But when your son returns
who swallowed up your property with prostitutes,
for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’
He said to him,
‘My son, you are here with me always;
everything I have is yours.
But now we must celebrate and rejoice,
because your brother was dead and has come to life again;
he was lost and has been found.'"

Bp. Tom: The Gospel of the Lord

All: Praise to you Lord Jesus the Christ

Homily

Profession of Faith

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,

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.

Universal Prayer

Bp. Tom: Father, on this fourth Sunday of Lent we are called to REJOICE! Laetare!

As we reflect and prepare on the coming death and resurrection of your Son, Jesus, we are reminded that all of us have things in our past (or present) but that all is forgiven through Him! It’s easy to be jealous of others who seem to get a pass on the challenges of life. It is not ours to judge.

Help us to hear your voice and answer your call, knowing and trusting in your everlasting love and care.

*Blessed are those who have lost. For those recovering from fires and those in the path of storms and cold. For those who have been killed or are trapped in Myanmar and Thailand; for those who are facing starvation; for those who have battled HIV/Aids but that are now to face no treatment or life-saving drugs.

WE PRAY TO THE LORD