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

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
We Who Once Were Dead
Christ Jesus Lay In Death's Strong Bands
Ad Cenam Agni Providi

Or:

Hymns for Ascensiontide

Or:


Now fades all earthly splendor,
The shades of night descend;
The dying of the daylight
Foretells creation's end.
Though noon gives place to sunset,
Yet dark gives place to light:
The promise of tomorrow
With dawn's new hope is bright.

The silver notes of morning
Will greet the rising sun,
As once the Easter glory
Shone round the Risen One.
So will the night of dying
Give peace to heaven's day,
And hope of heaven's vision
Will light our pilgrim way.

So will the new creation
Rise from the old reborn
To splendor in Christ's glory
And everlasting morn.
All darkness will be ended
As faith gives place to sight
Of Father, Son and Spirit,
One God, in heaven's light.

Text: James Quinn, SJ

Antiphon 1: The Lord will be your light forever; your God will be your glory, alleluia.

To you have I lifted up my eyes,
you who dwell in the heavens;
my eyes, like the eyes of slaves
on the hand of their lords.

Like the eyes of a servant
on the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes are on the Lord our God
till he show us his mercy.

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
We are filled with contempt.
Indeed all too full is our soul
with the scorn of the rich,
with the proud man's disdain.  Glory...

Antiphon 1: The Lord will be your light forever; your God will be your glory, alleluia.

Antiphon 2 The snare was broken and we were set free, alleluia.

"If the Lord had not been on our side,"
this is Israel's song.
"If the Lord had not been on our side
when men rose up against us,
then would they have swallowed us alive
when their anger was kindled.

Then would the waters have engulfed us,
the torrent gone over us;
over our head would have swept
the raging waters."

Blessed be the Lord who did not give us
as prey to their teeth!
Our life, like a bird, has escaped
from the snare of the fowler.

Indeed the snare has been broken
and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.  Glory...

Antiphon 2 The snare was broken and we were set free, alleluia.

Antiphon 3 When I am lifted up from the earth, I shall draw all people to myself, alleluia.

Praised be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has bestowed on us in Christ
every spiritual blessing in the heavens.

God chose us in him
before the world began
to be holy
and blameless in his sight,
to be full of love.

He predestined us
to be his adopted sons through Jesus Christ,
such was his will and pleasure,
that all might praise the glorious favor
he has bestowed on us in his beloved.

In him and through his blood,we have been redeemed,
and our sins forgiven,
so immeasurably generous
is God’s favor to us.

God has given us the wisdom
to understand fully the mystery,
the plan he was pleased
to decree in Christ.
A plan to be carried out
in Christ, in the fullness of time,
to bring all things into one in him,
in the heavens and on earth.  Glory...

Antiphon 3 When I am lifted up from the earth, I shall draw all people to myself, alleluia.


READING      Romans 8:14-17
All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, "Abba, Father!" The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.


RESPONSORY
The Holy Spirit is the Paraclete, alleluia, alleluia.
 - The Holy Spirit is the Paraclete, alleluia, alleluia.
He will teach you all things,
 - alleluia, alleluia.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
 - The Holy Spirit is the Paraclete, alleluia, alleluia.


MAGNIFICAT (Canticle of Mary)
Antiphon: The Spirit, the Advocate, will remain with you and live in you, alleluia.


INTERCESSIONS
Let us give thanks to Christ who filled the apostles and the whole Church with the consolation of the Holy Spirit.  In union with all the faithful let us cry out:

                    Lord, send your consoling Spirit into your Church.

Lord Jesus, mediator between God and men, you chose priests to share your work,
 - through them may all rise with you to the Father.

Grant that rich and poor may meet in friendship, for you are the God of both,
 - do not let the rich make riches their god.

Make your Gospel known to all peoples,
 - that all may come to obey you in faith.

Send forth your Spirit, gentlest of consolers,
 - to wipe away the tears of all who mourn.

Purify the souls of the departed,
 - and receive them into the company of your saints and chosen ones in heaven.


Our Father...


COLLECT
May the power of the Holy Spirit
come to us, we pray, O Lord,
that we may keep your will faithfully in mind
and express it in a devout way of life.
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.