March 17
Saint Patrick, bishop
Principal
Patron of Ireland
Solemnity
Entrance
Antiphon:
Gen 12:1-2
Go
from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I
will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make
your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
Collect
Lord
, through the work of Saint Patrick
in Ireland
we
have come to acknowledge the mystery of the one true God
and
give thanks for our salvation in Christ;
grant
by his prayers
that
we who celebrate this festival
may
keep alive the fire of faith he kindled.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
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Readings:
Year ABC
First
Reading: Sirach (Eccles) 39:6-10
His
memory will not disappear and his name will live through all generations.
(Lectionary
Vol. II, p. 1504)
Responsorial
Psalm: Psalm 115:12-19. R/. v. 12
Response:
How can I repay the Lord for his goodness to me?
1.
How can I repay the Lord
for
his goodness to me?
The
cup of salvation I will raise;
I
will call on the Lord’s name. R/.
2.
My vows to the Lord I will fulfil
before
all his people.
O
precious in the eyes of the Lord
is
the death of his faithful. R/.
3.
Your servant, Lord, your servant am I;
you
have loosened my bonds.
A
thanksgiving sacrifice I make;
I
will call on the Lord’s name. R/.
4.
My vows to the Lord I will fulfil
before
all his people,
in
the courts of the house of the Lord,
in
your midst, O Jerusalem. R/.
Second
Reading: 2 Timothy 4:1-8
Convince,
rebuke and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching.
(Lectionary
Vol. II, p. 572)
Gospel
Acclamation: James 1:21
Glory
to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
Accept
and submit to the word which has been planted in you and can save your souls.
Glory
to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
Gospel
Reading: Matthew 13:24-32
It
is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of
shrubs.
Jesus put a parable before the crowds, ‘The kingdom
of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While
everybody was asleep his enemy came, sowed darnel all among the wheat and made
off. When the new wheat sprouted and ripened, the darnel appeared as well. The
owner’s servants went to him and said, “Sir, was it not good seed that you
sowed in your field? If so, where does the darnel come from?” “Some enemy
has done this,” he answered. And the servants said, “Do you want us to go
and weed it out?” But he said, “No, because when you weed out the darnel you
might pull up the wheat with it. Let them both grow till the harvest; and at
harvest time I shall say to the reapers: First collect the darnel and tie it in
bundles to be burnt, then gather the wheat into my barn.”’ He put another
parable before them: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed which a man
took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it
has grown it is the biggest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of
the air can come and shelter in its branches.’
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Year
B ad libitum
First
Reading: Jeremiah 1:4-9
You
shall go to all to whom I send you.
(Lectionary
Vol. II, p. 1326)
Responsorial
Psalm: Psalm 116. R/. Mark 16:15
Response:
Go out to the whole world: proclaim the Good News.
(Lectionary
Vol. II, p. 1327)
Second
Reading: Romans 10:9-18
Faith
comes from what is heard, through the Word of Christ.
(Lectionary
Vol. II, p. 1374)
Gospel
Acclamation: Matthew 28:19-20
Glory
to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
Go,
make disciples of all nations, says the Lord; I am with you always, yes, to the
end of time.
Glory
to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
Gospel
Reading: Mark 16:15-20
They
went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere.
(Lectionary
Vol. II, p. 1495)
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Year
C ad libitum
First
Reading: Amos 7:12-15
The
Lord took me from following the flock.
(Lectionary
Vol. I, p. 774)
Responsorial
Psalm: Psalm 138:1-3, 7-10, 13-14. R/v. 9-10
Response:
If I dwell at the sea’s furthest end even there you watch over me.
1.
O Lord, you search me and you know me,
you
know my resting and my rising,
you
discern my purpose from afar.
You
mark when I walk or lie down,
all
my ways lie open to you. R/.
2.
O where can I go from your spirit,
or
where can I flee from your face?
If
I climb the heavens, you are there.
If
I lie in the grave, you are there. R/.
3.
If I take the wings of the dawn
and
dwell at the sea’s furthest end,
even
there your hand would lead me,
your
right hand would hold me fast. R/.
4.
For it was you who created my being,
knit
me together in my mother’s womb.
I
thank you for the wonders of my being,
for
the wonders of all your creation.
Second
Reading: 1 Thessalonians 2:2-8
We
never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed.
(Lectionary
Vol. II, p. 1490)
Gospel
Acclamation: Luke 4:18
Glory
to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
The
Lord has sent me to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to
captives.
Glory
to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
Gospel
Reading: Luke 5:1-11
‘Lord,
I am a sinful man.’ Jesus said, ‘Do not be afraid.’
(Lectionary
Vol. II, p. 977)
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Prayer
over the Gifts
Lord,
accept this pure sacrifice
which,
through the labours of Saint Patrick,
your
grateful people make
to
the glory of your name.
Through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
V/. The Lord be with you.
R/. And also with you.
V/. Lift up your hearts.
R/. We lift then up to the Lord.
V/. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
R/. It is right to give him thanks and praise.
It
is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,
always and everywhere to give
you thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty
and eternal God,
and
to offer you fitting praise
as
we honour Saint Patrick.
For
you drew him through daily prayer
in
captivity and hardship
to
know you as a loving Father.
You
chose him out of all the world
to
return to the land of his captors,
that
they might acknowledge Jesus Christ, their Redeemer.
In
the power of your Spirit you directed his paths
to
win the sons and daughters of the Irish
to
the service of the Triune God.
With
joyful hearts we echo on earth
the
song of the angels in heaven
as
they praise your glory without end:
Holy, Holy, Holy…
Communion
Antiphon: Cf Mt 8:11
Many
will come from east and west
and
sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
at
the feast in the kingdom of heaven, says the Lord.
Prayer
after Communion
Strengthen
us, O Lord, by this sacrament
so
that we may profess the faith taught by Saint Patrick
and
to proclaim it in our way of living.
Through
Christ our Lord.
Solemn
Blessing
May
God the Father, who called us together
to
celebrate the feast of Saint Patrick,
bless
you, protect you,
and keep you faithful.
R/.
Amen.
May
Christ the Lord,
the High King of Heaven,
be
near you at all times
and shield you from evil.
R/.
Amen.
May
the Holy Spirit, who is the source of all holiness,
make
you rich in the love of God’s people.
C
Amen.
And
may the blessing of almighty God,
the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit
come
down on you and remain for ever.
R/.
Amen.