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Entrance

Responsorial psalm (see also music overview for Advent)

Common response (may be used all through Advent)

Gospel acclamation

Isaiah 61:1 (Luke 4:18)

Alleluia, Alleluia!
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me;
he sent me to bring Good News to the poor.
Alleluia!

Procession of the gifts/offertory

Communion

Thanksgiving hymn/song/canticle (optional, sung by all)

Sending forth

Entrance

Responsorial psalm (see also music overview for Advent)

Common response (may be used all through Advent)

Gospel acclamation 

Luke 3:4, 6

Alleluia, Alleluia!
Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths:
all people shall see the salvation of God.
Alleluia!

Procession of the gifts/offertory 

Communion

Thanksgiving hymn/song/canticle (optional, sung by all)

Sending forth

Entrance

Responsorial psalm (see also music overview for Advent)

Common response (may be used all through Advent)

Gospel acclamation

Psalm 84:8

Alleluia, Alleluia!
Lord, show us your mercy and love,
and grant us your salvation.
Alleluia!

Procession of the gifts/offertory

Communion

Thanksgiving hymn/song/canticle (optional, sung by all)

Sending forth

Entrance

Responsorial psalm (see also the music recommendations tab)

Gospel acclamation (See Overview)

Mark 11:9, 10

Alleluia, Alleluia!
Blessed is he who inherits the kingdom of David our Father;
blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Alleluia!

Procession of the gifts/offertory 

Communion

Thanksgiving hymn/song/canticle (optional, sung by all)

Sending forth

Entrance

Responsorial psalm (see also the music recommendations tab)

Gospel acclamation 

Luke 21:36

Alleluia, Alleluia!
Be watchful and pray constantly,
that you may be worthy to stand before the Son of Man.
Alleluia!

Procession of the gifts/offertory 

Communion

Thanksgiving hymn/song/canticle (optional, sung by all)

Sending forth

Entrance

Responsorial psalm (see also music overview for Ordinary Time) 

Gospel acclamation

John 8:12

Alleluia, Alleluia!
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
the man who follows me will have the light of life.
Alleluia!

Procession of the gifts/offertory 

Communion

Thanksgiving hymn/song/canticle (optional, sung by all)

Sending forth 

Each year, the Church makes its pilgrimage to the cross and beyond—through the refining trials of the wilderness, to the heart-rending breakthrough of Calvary and into the expansive Easter hope that motivates and animates all that we do. This selection of useful and inspiring resources and articles from around the web has been collected to help you enter more deeply into the Lent and Easter seasons.

Lent in 3 minutes, produced by Busted Halo—a brief and engaging video explaining the basics of Lent 

The Pope’s messages for Lent, available in English and a range of other languages

What is Lent?—an overview of the season from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops 

Lent resources from Loyola Press, including:

Easter resources from Loyola Press, including Easter lesson plans for children and a range of Easter-themed articles

Paschale Solemnitatis—a circular letter concerning the preparation and celebration of the Easter feasts, from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 1988

The 2023 Triumph Lenten program from the Catholic Diocese of Wollongong—a popular and beautifully designed book of daily reflections for the season of Lent that can be ordered through the diocese’s website

From Ashes to Hope—a book of daily, Scripture-based reflections from Evangelisation Brisbane for Lent and Easter 2023, which can be ordered through their website and used by busy individuals or adapted for groups

The Jerusalemm Journey: the 2023 Lenten audio retreat from the popular Pray as you go devotional app, produced by Jesuit Ministries UK

A rich and comprehensive collection of Lenten prayer and devotional resources from Hallow, the popular subscription-based Catholic prayer app

Project Compassion—Caritas Australia’s annual Lenten fundraising and awareness-raising appeal

‘Lent and Social Justice’—an exploration of the Lenten call to recognise the face of Christ in all those in need, from the Justice and Peace Office of the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney

A free, video-based Way of the Cross from the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne, using the Gospel of Mark and featuring the beautiful carved stations of the late Melbourne sculptor Leopoldine (Poldi) Mimovich that reside in the Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Deepdene

Laudato si’ Stations of the Cross—a free, downloadable liturgy booklet from the Columbans in Australia, and Lenten Odyssey: Our Human Calling in Christ Jesus, a series of reflections on the Sundays in Lent, Year C, also from the Columbans.

The Little Way of Lent, from Shalom Media—an Australian series of video reflections for kids, presented by Ann Rennie

‘Ave Explores: Lent’—a series of Lenten-themed conversations from the Ave Explores podcast, produced by Ave Maria Press

A Guide to Night Prayer for Lent, a free downloadable ‘Liturgy of the Hours’ resource for families, from the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame (USA)

‘The Triduum in Art’ (artwork-based reflections for each day of the Triduum) and ‘A Lenten Playlist: 40 songs in 40 days’, both also from the McGrath Institute for Church Life

First reading

Isaiah 58:7–10
Then will your light shine like the dawn.

Responsorial psalm

Psalm 111(112):4–9
R. A light rises in the darkness for the upright.

Second reading

1 Corinthians 2:1–5
The only knowledge I claimed was of the crucified Christ.

Gospel acclamation

John 8:12
I am the light of the world, says the Lord; the man who follows me will have the light of life.

Gospel

Matthew 5:13–16
Your light must shine in the sight of men.

Images from the Word

Liturgical notes

In the General Intercessions or the Prayer of the Faithful, the people respond in a certain way to the word of God which they have welcomed in faith and, exercising the office of their baptismal priesthood, offer prayers to God for the salvation of all. It is fitting that such a prayer be included, as a rule, in Masses celebrated with a congregation, so that petitions will be offered for the holy Church, for civil authorities, for those weighed down by various needs, for all men and women, and for the salvation of the whole world.

—General Instruction of the Roman Missal, §69 

As we come together each Sunday, we are invited to bring our prayer for the world and all its need. We do not come alone in this prayer, but we come as the one Body of Christ. United as one, we intercede for the many needs of our community with a view to the wider Church. As the priestly people of God, we can be confident that God will respond.

‘O come, let us worship God and bow low before the God who made us, for he is the Lord our God.’ —entrance antiphon

Gospel

Jerusalem Bible © 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd and Doubleday & Company Inc.

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You are the salt of the earth. But if salt becomes tasteless, what can make it salty again? It is good for nothing, and can only be thrown out to be trampled underfoot by men.

‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill-top cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp to put it under a tub; they put it on the lamp-stand where it shines for everyone in the house. In the same way your light must shine in the sight of men, so that, seeing your good works, they may give the praise to your Father in heaven.’

(Matthew 5:13–16) 

Did you know?

Points of interest and Catholic lore 

Exploring the Word

To understand this text, it is important to place it alongside the Beatitudes that immediately precede it (you could read these together first). In that text, the virtues to be cultivated by followers of Jesus are outlined, but the danger with taking the Beatitudes on their own is that faith can become contented peacefulness and somewhat inward-looking. To avoid this risk, Matthew follows the Beatitudes with this text, which teaches disciples about the task of Christians in the world. They have been given the gifts; they are the salt of the earth. But if they just see their blessedness and rest there, they risk becoming ‘tasteless’ and good only to be ‘trampled underfoot’. Instead, the disciples are urged to place their light high on a hill and to let it shine for all to see. They are witnesses to God’s living presence, not just for the nation of Israel but for all the world. In seeing the way that Christians live and act—their ‘good works’—others will be drawn to God through their active witness to faith. Others will come to give praise to God in heaven. This is an amazing responsibility, and Jesus acknowledges that some salt may lose its taste and some lights be hidden. The challenge for Christians, new and old, is not to take the gift of faith for granted and let it become tasteless; not to keep the light confined to private moments but to allow others to see the difference faith makes so that they can know the presence and power of God.

Making connections

Opportunities for group discussion and personal prayer 

Sharing the tradition

A closer look at the Scripture of the day, to see how it makes more explicit God’s word to us through the teachings of Jesus Christ 

In the early 1960s, a momentous event occurred in the history of the Church. The Second Vatican Council was convened by Pope John XXIII. His desire was to throw open the widows of the Church and let fresh air in so that it related more appropriately to the modern world and modern humans.

One of the key documents from that council was the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, known in Latin as Lumen Gentium (‘Light of All Peoples’). Its aim was to be a statement of the Church’s own understanding of itself and the role it is destined to take in the world.

Symbols and images

The people of Israel often described the Law of God as ‘salt’ because it gave zest and flavour to life and it preserved them as the people of God. Similarly, the Law was often compared to a light that showed them the path to God: ‘Your word is a light to my feet and a lamp to my path’ (Psalm 119:105). Jerusalem, the city on the hill, was a focal point and reminder of God’s presence. Jesus gives a new focus to all these images when he applies them to those who hear his word and put it into practice. All Christians are called to be ‘salt’ and ‘light’, a ‘city on the hill’ giving witness to God’s presence.

Living the Word

Practical ideas for group leaders to employ in connecting Scripture and daily life, with suggestions for music and environment 

Gospel

Jerusalem Bible © 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd and Doubleday & Company Inc.

Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his disciples. Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:

‘How happy are the poor in spirit;
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Happy the gentle:
for they shall have the earth as their heritage.
Happy those who mourn:
they shall be comforted.
Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right:
they shall be satisfied.
Happy the merciful:
they shall have mercy shown them.
Happy the pure in heart:
they shall see God.
Happy the peacemakers:
they shall be called children of God.
Happy are those who are persecuted in the cause of right:
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.’

(Matthew 5:1–12)

Did you know?

Points of interest and Catholic lore 

Exploring the Word

The rendering of the Greek term used in this text as ‘happy’ is rather weak. A better term is ‘blessed’. At the heart of the Beatitudes is Jesus’ instruction to his followers to cultivate certain qualities in their lives. To be gentle, to mourn, to thirst for what is right, to be merciful, to be pure of heart and to be peacemakers are signs of the presence of the kingdom of God in our lives. To have such virtues is to be blessed. Jesus teaches that those who suffer some human lack or pain are blessed, not because poverty, pain or sorrow are good in themselves, but because they reveal to us our need for God. Those who are prosperous, comfortable or content find this much more difficult to realise and accept.

The final portion of this text speaks to the experience of the early church, which suffered persecution for the sake of faith in Jesus Christ. Christians today are also called to stand against arrogant secularism, which proclaims that humans do not need God. Even today, people suffer for their faith, but they too are assured that their reward will be great in heaven!

Making connections

Opportunities for group discussion and personal prayer 

Sharing the tradition

A closer look at the Scripture of the day, to see how it makes more explicit God’s word to us through the teachings of Jesus Christ 

Some of the revered figures of the Church have embodied the virtues celebrated in the Beatitudes. This is a good opportunity to introduce the lives and work of some saints or other figures as models of these virtues—for example:

You will be able to think of many more.

Symbols and images

The ‘poor’ are those who are not smug and self-satisfied. Those who ‘mourn’ are those who grieve at the effects of sin in the world. The ‘meek’ are the lowly and powerless in any situation. Those who ‘hunger for righteousness’ are those who long for justice and peace. The ‘pure of heart’ are those who seek God alone. The ‘peacemakers’ are those who work to restore broken relationships. Those who are ‘persecuted’ are those who are ridiculed for their faith. Taken all together, the Beatitudes describe what a Christian should be like.

Living the Word

Practical ideas for group leaders to employ in connecting Scripture and daily life, with suggestions for music and environment 
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