Lord, open my lips.
 - And my mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Psalm 95 is the traditional Invitatory Psalm. Psalm 24, 67, or 100 may be substituted.


Antiphon: The Lord is risen, alleluia.

Psalm 95

Psalm 24

Psalm 67

Psalm 100

God, come to my assistance.
 - Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
 -  as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever.
Amen.


HYMN

Jesus Christ is Risen Today
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia
Christ the Lord is Risen Today

Or:


We turn to you, O God of every nation,
Giver of life and origin of good;
Your love is at the heart of all creation,
Your hurt is people's broken brotherhood.

We turn to you, that we may be forgiven
For crucifying Christ on earth again.
We know that we have never wholly striven,
Forgetting self, to love the other man.

Free every heart from pride and self-reliance,
Our ways of thought inspire with simple grace
Break down among us barriers of defiance,
Speak to the soul of all the human race.

On men who fight on earth for right relations
We pray the light of love from hour to hour.
Grant wisdom to the leaders of the nations,
The gift of carefulness to those in power.

Teach us, good Lord, to serve the need of others,
Help us to give and not to count the cost.
Unite us all, for we are born as brothers:
Defeat our Babel with your Pentecost.


PSALMODY

Antiphon 1: Christ gave himself up for us as a sacrificial offering to God, alleluia.

Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.
In your compassion blot out my offense.
O wash me more and more from my guilt
and cleanse me from my sin.

My offenses truly I know them;
my sin is always before me
Against you, you alone, have I sinned;
what is evil in your sight I have done.

That you may be justified when you give sentence
and be without reproach when you judge,
O see, in guilt I was born,
a sinner was I conceived.

Indeed you love truth in the heart;
then in the secret of my heart teach me wisdom.
O purify me, then I shall be clean;
O wash me, I shall be whiter than snow.

Make me hear rejoicing and gladness,
that the bones you have crushed may thrill.
From my sins turn away your face
and blot out all my guilt.

A pure heart create for me, O God,
put a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
nor deprive me of your holy spirit.

Give me again the joy of your help;
with a spirit of fervor sustain me,
that I may teach transgressors your ways
and sinners may return to you.

O rescue me, God, my helper,
and my tongue shall ring out your goodness.
O Lord, open my lips
and my mouth shall declare your praise.

For in sacrifice you take no delight,
burnt offering from me you would refuse,
my sacrifice, a contrite spirit,
a humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn.

In your goodness, show favor to Zion:
rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will be pleased with lawful sacrifice,
holocausts offered on your altar. Glory...

Psalm Prayer:Father, he who knew no sin was made sin for us, to save us and restore us to your friendship. Look upon our contrite heart and afflicted spirit and heal our troubled conscience, so that in the joy and strength of the Holy Spirit we may proclaim your praise and glory before all the nations.

Antiphon 1 Christ gave himself up for us as a sacrificial offering to God, alleluia.


Antiphon 2 Jerusalem, city of God, you will shine with a radiant light, alleluia.

O Jerusalem, holy city,
he scourged you for the works of your hands,
but will again pity the children of the righteous.

Praise the Lord for his goodness,
and bless the King of the ages,
so that his tent may be rebuilt in you with joy.

May he gladden within you all who were captives;
all who were ravaged may he cherish within you
for all generations to come.

A bright light will shine to all parts of the earth;
many nations shall come to you from afar,
And the inhabitants of all the limits of the earth,
drawn to you by the name of the Lord God,
Bearing in their hands their gifts for the King of heaven.

Every generation shall give joyful praise in you,
and shall call you the chosen one,
through all ages forever.

Go, then, rejoice over the children of the righteous,
who shall all be gathered together
and shall bless the Lord of the ages.

Happy are those who love you,
and happy those who rejoice in your prosperity.

Happy are all who shall grieve over you,
over all your chastisements,

For they shall rejoice in you
as they behold all your joy forever.

My spirit blesses the Lord, the great King.  Glory...

Antiphon 2 Jerusalem, city of God, you will shine with a radiant light, alleluia.


Antiphon 3 I saw the new Jerusalem, coming down from heaven, alleluia.

He has strengthened the bars of your gates
he has blessed the children within you.
He established peace on your borders,
he feeds you with finest wheat.

He sends out his word to the earth
and swiftly runs his command.
He showers down snow white as wool,
he scatters hoar-frost like ashes.

He hurls down hailstones like crumbs.
The waters are frozen at his touch;
he sends forth his word and it melts them:
at the breath of his mouth the waters flow.

He makes his word known to Jacob,
to Israel his laws and decrees.
He has not dealt thus with other nations;
he has not taught them his decrees.   Glory...

Psalm Prayer: All powerful God, it is through your Church, generously endowed with gifts of grace and fortified by the Holy Spirit, that you send out your word to all nations. Strengthen your Church with the best of all food and make it dauntless in faith. Multiply its children to celebrate with one accord the mysteries of your love at the altar on high.

Antiphon 3 I saw the new Jerusalem, coming down from heaven, alleluia.


READING         Acts 5:30-32
The God of our ancestors raised Jesus, though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins. We are witnesses of these things, as is the holy Spirit that God has given to those who obey him.


RESPONSORY
The Lord is risen from the tomb, alleluia, alleluia.
 - The Lord is risen from the tomb, alleluia, alleluia.
He hung upon the cross for us,
 - alleluia, alleluia.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
 - The Lord is risen from the tomb, alleluia, alleluia.


BENEDICTUS (Canticle of Zechariah)
Antiphon: I go now to prepare a place for you, but I shall return to take you with me, so that where I am you also may be, alleluia.


INTERCESSIONS
God the Father raised up Christ through the Spirit, and will also raise up our mortal bodies. Let us cry out to him:

            Lord, raise us to life through your Holy Spirit.

All-holy Father, you accepted the holocaust of your Son in raising him from the dead,
 - accept the offering we make today, and lead us to eternal life.

Look with favor on all we do today,
 - that it may be for your glory and the sanctification of the world.

May our work today not be in vain but for the good of the whole world,
 - and through it lead us to your kingdom.

Open our eyes today to recognize our brothers and sisters, and our hearts to love them,
 - so that we may love and serve each other.


Our Father...


COLLECT
O God, author of our freedom and of our salvation,
listen to the voice of our pleading
and grant that those you have redeemed
by the shedding of your Son’s Blood
may have life through you
and, under your protection,
rejoice for ever unharmed.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.


May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.