Third Sunday of July: The Most Holy Redeemer

Title of the Congregation

Solemnity

Christ is the source of our salvation, which is realized through the mystery of the Redemption.  Today this mystery is celebrated,  not primarily in its historical development - as  in the Paschal Triduum -, but in its inner meaning and universality, i.e.  as having  its source in the love of the Father who gives the Son and the love of the Son who gives himself for us.

"The Redeemer of the World!   In him has been revealed, in a new and more marvellous manner, the fundamental truth about creation, which the Book of Genesis attests which it repeats: "God saw that it was good."  This goodness has its source in Wisdom and in Love.  The visible world, created by God for humankind, ‘ was subjected to futility,' when sin made its entry into the world. (Rom 8:20) In Jesus Christ it regains anew its original bond with the Divine source of Wisdom and Love.   In fact, " God so loved the world that he gave his only Son."(Jn 3:16)   As this bond has been broken in Adam, so in Christ, it has been renewed.

"In its penetrating analysis of ‘the modern world,'the Second Vatican Council, reached that most important point in the visible world that is man, by penetrating like Christ the depth of human consciousness and by making contact with the inward mystery of man, which in biblical and non-biblical language is expressed by the word ‘heart.'  Christ, the Redeemer of the world, is the one who penetrated in a unique, unrepeatable way into the mystery of the human being and entered his ‘heart.  Rightly, therefore does the Second Vatican Council teach:

‘The truth is that only in the mystery of the Incarnate Word does the mystery of man take on light.  For Adam, the first man, was a type of him who was to come (Rom 5:14), Christ the Lord.  Christ, the new Adam, in the very revelation of the mystery of the Father and of His love, fully reveals man to himself and brings to light his most high calling.'  

And the Council continues: ‘He who is the <image of the invisible God> (Col 1:15), is Himself the perfect human being who has restored in the children of Adam the likeness to God which has been disfigured ever since the first sin.   Human nature, by the very fact that is was assumed, not absorbed, in Him, has been raised in us also to a dignity beyond compare.  For, by his Incarnation, He, the Son of god, in a certain way united Himself with each human being.  He worked with human hands, He thought with a human mind.  He acted with a human will, and with a human heart He loved.  Born of the Virgin Mary, he has truly been made one of us, like to us in all things except sin,' (GS 22), He, the Redeemer of humankind!" (Redemptoris hominis, 8).

Entrance Antiphon: By your blood, O Lord,  you redeemed us for God  from every tribe and language and people and nation; you have made us to be a kingdom and priests serving our God.       ( Rev 5:9-10)

The Gloria is sung.

OPENING PRAYER

O God,

you appointed your only-begotten Son as Redeemer of the world,

and through him you overcame death

and mercifully restored us to life.

Grant that we, who recall these blessings

may deserve to be united to you by an enduring bond of love

and to enjoy for ever the fruit of that redemption.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

FIRST READING                                                                  (Is 55:2b-6)

I will make with you an everlasting covenant

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.

Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.

Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. See, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. See, you shall call nations that you do not know, and nations that do not know you shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.

Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near.

 The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM                                                             (Is 12:2-6)

R.  The Lord is my strength and my song

Truly God is my salvation;

I  trust, I shall not fear.

for the LORD is my strength, my song,

he became my saviour.     R.

With joy you will draw water

from the wells of salvation.

Give thanks to the LORD, give praise to his name!

Make his mighty deeds known to the peoples!

Declare the greatness of his name.    R.

5 Sing a psalm  to the LORD,

for he has done glorious deeds;

make them known to all the earth!

People of Zion, sing and shout for joy,

for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.    R.

SECOND READING                                                             (Rom 5:12-21)

By the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous

A Reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans

Just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned - sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law. Yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man's trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many. And the free gift is not like the effect of the one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification. If, because of the one man's trespass, death exercised dominion through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Therefore just as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man's act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all.  For just as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. But law came in, with the result that the trespass multiplied; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,  so that, just as sin exercised dominion in death, so grace might also exercise dominion through justification leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION                                                  (Is 53:10b)

R.  Allelulia, allelulia     

When you make his life an offering for sin,

he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days;

through him the will of the LORD shall prosper.

R.  Allelulia, Allelulia     

GOSPEL                                                                             (John 3:13-18.21)

Whoever believes in him will have eternal life.

A reading of the holy gospel according to John.

Jesus said to Nicodemus: "No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.  "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

"Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God.  But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.

The Gospel of the Lord.

PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS

Accept , O Lord, we beseech you,

the gifts we offer from the blessings you have bestowed on us;

and may the sacrifice which we offer you now on earth

become for us the reward of eternal redemption.

Grant this through Christ our Lord.

PREFACE

Priest: The Lord be with you.

People:        And also with you.

Priest: Lift up your hearts.

People:        We lift them up to the Lord

Priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God

People:        It is right to give him thanks and praise.

Father, all powerful and ever-living God,

It is truly good and fitting ,

our duty and our salvation,

always and everywhere to give you thanks

through Jesus Christ Our Lord. 

The Redeemer whom you had promised in the Covenant of old,

you consecrated and sent to us

to restore your gifts to lost humankind.

He came among us in our mortal flesh,

offered himself in sacrifice,

and by his death and resurrection

brought your salvation to all peoples.

In him we have plentiful redemption from our age-long slavery.

In him we have truth, light and life.

In him we have been signed with the Holy Spirit who was promised,

and we are blessed with the hope 

of obtaining the full liberty of sons and daughters.

And so, with the angels and saints

we praise you and acclaim you with the joyful hymn:

Communion Antiphon   To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood,  and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.                                                 (Ph 1:3.6)

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

O, Lord,

through our redemption by your Son

you give us the grace to hope in what we believe.

Refreshed now with the gift of your salvation,

we humbly pray you

to lead us also, in joy, to the attainment of our goal.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

                                                           (Or)

Lord, Jesus Christ,

we pray that you will preserve your gifts in us

who have partaken of your Sacred Body and Precious Blood,

through which we have been redeemed.

Free us from the evils of this present life,

and lead us to the gifts which are eternal.

You live and reign for ever and ever.