4th Sunday of Lent - Year B - March 10, 2024

 
We are now on the 4^th Sunday of Lent, still thanking you dear brothers and sisters for visiting us here.
 
The readings for the 4th Sunday of Lent Year B focus on God's faithfulness in drawing us closer to him. The first reading tells how God inspired Cyrus to allow the chosen people to worship once again in Jerusalem. And in the gospel we hear of Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus, where Jesus explains that he was sent to us out of the boundless love of God.
 
The 4th Sunday of Lent Year B presents a profound reflection on themes of longing for restoration, God's mercy and grace, the dichotomy between light and darkness, and God's unwavering love for humanity. These readings invite us to contemplate our own lives considering God's enduring patience and willingness to forgive. They challenge us to recognize our transgressions yet reassure us of the possibility of repentance and returning to God's grace. Through the narrative of the Babylonian exile and the words of Jesus in John 3, we are reminded of the transformative power of belief and the hope that lies in restoration.

• Longing for restoration - Despite the reality of judgment and punishment, the readings for the 4th Sunday of Lent Year B also emphasize the possibility of repentance and restoration. In 2 Chronicles 36, the Babylonian exile is seen as a time of purging and purification, and God later allows the people to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. In John 3, Jesus speaks of the possibility of eternal life through belief in him.

• God's mercy and grace - The readings also emphasize God's mercy and grace towards humanity, despite our sinfulness. In the first reading, God is patient and long-suffering towards the people, giving them many chances to repent and turn back to him. In the gospel, Jesus speaks of God's love for the world, and his willingness to give his only son as a sacrifice for our sins.

• Light and darkness - In John 3, Jesus speaks of the contrast between light and darkness, using light as a metaphor for truth and righteousness, and darkness as a metaphor for sin and ignorance.

• God's love for humanity - The readings for the 4th Sunday of Lent Year B also emphasize God's love for humanity, despite our sinfulness. In 2 Chronicles 36, God is patient towards the people, even as they rebel against him. In John 3, Jesus speaks of God's love for the world, and his willingness to give his only son as a sacrifice for our sins.

So the readings for the 4th Sunday of Lent Year B offer a deep exploration of God's relationship with humanity, characterized by both justice and immense love. Despite the harsh reality of judgment, there is always a path back to God through repentance, illuminated by the light of Christ. These themes encourage us to embrace the light, acknowledge God's sacrificial love, and move towards a future where our actions are aligned with God's will. As we journey through Lent, let us hold fast to the promise of restoration and the gift of God's mercy, celebrating the profound love He has for each of us, manifested through the giving of His only Son.
 
Entrance:
1.      Tun-I Kami Ginoo
2.      Mag-awit Kita
3.      Dios Namo sa Kalooy
4.      Buksan ang Aming Puso (Tinio, Hontiveros)
5.      Blest be the Lord
6.      Seek the Lord (O’Connor)
 
Readings:

• First Reading - 2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23: Judah's betrayal of faith led to their exile as Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and the temple. God's warnings were ignored, resulting in captivity. Fulfilling Jeremiah's prophecy, the exile lasted until Cyrus of Persia decreed the rebuilding of the temple, marking the beginning of the return.

• Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 137:  The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

• In Babylon's captivity, we wept for Zion, unable to sing our sacred songs in a foreign land. Forgetting Jerusalem would be my greatest loss, my joy silenced without its memory.

• Second Reading - Ephesians 2:4-10: God, in His mercy, made us alive with Christ, saving us by grace through faith, not by our deeds, to display His grace in Christ. We are created for good works, predestined by God.

• Gospel - John 3:14-21: Jesus has a conversation with Nicodemus and references Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness as a foreshadowing of his own crucifixion and the salvation that it would bring. Jesus emphasizes the importance of believing in him as the Son of God in order to receive eternal life, and highlights the judgment that will come to those who do not believe.

 
Offertory:
1.      O Dios Dawata
2.      Aniang among Halad
3.      Diyutay Lang Kini
4.      Sumasamo Kami (Judan)
5.      Panginoon Narito Ako
6.      Unang Alay (modified version)
7.      Now We Remain (Haas)
8.      Take Our Bread (Wise)
 
 
Communion:
1.      Kini Maong Akong Lawas
2.      Kinabuhi mo Kinabuhi Ko
3.      Ako ang Kahayag
4.      Balaan nga Gugma
5.      Dios Namo sa Kalooy
6.      Awit ng Paghilom (Aquino)
7.      Maging akin Muli (Aquino)
8.      Dakilang Pag-ibig (Pangilinan, Hontiveros) Prioritize Stanza 2. Swak sa 2R.
9.      Likhain mong Muli (Alejo, Francisco)
10.  God of Silence (Francisco)
11.  Empty Space (Go, Francisco)
 
Recessional:
1.      Kinsa?
2.      Ang Atong Tulubagon
3.      Alay sa Kapwa (Esteban, Hontiveros) Prioritize Stanza 3.
4.      Save Us, O Lord (Dufford)
 
 

4th Sunday of Lent - Year A - March 19, 2023

 A happy and thankful week our dear brothers and sisters. We are now on the 4^th Sunday of Lent. Please do continue visiting this blog and even click our ads. Please help us sustaining this blog. You can send your load donations only on those numbers posted. Thank you.
The readings for the 4th Sunday of Lent Year A are about sight and blindness. The first reading is the story of the choosing of David as God’s anointed one. Samuel is told that God does not see us as we do. The second reading is a reminder that we must live in the light, not it darkness. And in the gospel is the story of the man born blind, whom Jesus cured.

Theme:
·         Light and darkness
·         How we see ourselves, others, and God
·         Spiritual blindness

Entrance:
1.      Tun-I Kami Ginoo
2.      Mag-awit Kita
3.      Dios Namo sa Kalooy
4.      Buksan ang Aming Puso (Tinio, Hontiveros)
5.      Blest be the Lord
6.      Seek the Lord (O’Connor)
 
Reading 1                             1 Sm 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a
The LORD said to Samuel:
"Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way.
I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem,
for I have chosen my king from among his sons."
 
As Jesse and his sons came to the sacrifice,
Samuel looked at Eliab and thought,
"Surely the LORD's anointed is here before him."
But the LORD said to Samuel:
"Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature,
because I have rejected him.
Not as man sees does God see,
because man sees the appearance
but the LORD looks into the heart."
In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel,
but Samuel said to Jesse,
"The LORD has not chosen any one of these."
Then Samuel asked Jesse,
"Are these all the sons you have?"
Jesse replied,
"There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep."
Samuel said to Jesse,
"Send for him;
we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here."
Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them.
He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold
and making a splendid appearance.
The LORD said,
"There—anoint him, for this is the one!"
Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand,
anointed David in the presence of his brothers;
and from that day on, the spirit of the LORD rushed upon David.
 
Responsorial Psalm                                              Ps 23: 1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
 
Reading 2                             Eph 5:8-14
Brothers and sisters:
You were once darkness,
but now you are light in the Lord.
Live as children of light,
for light produces every kind of goodness
and righteousness and truth.
Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness;
rather expose them, for it is shameful even to mention
the things done by them in secret;
but everything exposed by the light becomes visible,
for everything that becomes visible is light.
Therefore, it says:
"Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will give you light."
Verse Before the Gospel
Jn 8:12
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life.
 
Gospel                                   Jn 9:1-41
As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth.
His disciples asked him,
"Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents,
that he was born blind?"
Jesus answered,
"Neither he nor his parents sinned;
it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him.
We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day.
Night is coming when no one can work.
While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
When he had said this, he spat on the ground
and made clay with the saliva,
and smeared the clay on his eyes,
and said to him,
"Go wash in the Pool of Siloam" —which means Sent—.
So he went and washed, and came back able to see.
 
His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said,
"Isn't this the one who used to sit and beg?"
Some said, "It is, "
but others said, "No, he just looks like him."
He said, "I am."
So they said to him, "How were your eyes opened?"
He replied,
"The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes
and told me, 'Go to Siloam and wash.'
So I went there and washed and was able to see."
And they said to him, "Where is he?"
He said, "I don't know."
 

They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees.
Now Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a sabbath.
So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see.
He said to them,
"He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see."
So some of the Pharisees said,
"This man is not from God,
because he does not keep the sabbath."
But others said,
"How can a sinful man do such signs?"
And there was a division among them.
So they said to the blind man again,
"What do you have to say about him,
since he opened your eyes?"
He said, "He is a prophet."
 
Now the Jews did not believe
that he had been blind and gained his sight
until they summoned the parents of the one who had gained his sight.
They asked them,
"Is this your son, who you say was born blind?
How does he now see?"
His parents answered and said,
"We know that this is our son and that he was born blind.
We do not know how he sees now,
nor do we know who opened his eyes.
Ask him, he is of age;
he can speak for himself."
His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews,
for the Jews had already agreed
that if anyone acknowledged him as the Christ,
he would be expelled from the synagogue.
For this reason his parents said,
"He is of age; question him."
 
So a second time they called the man who had been blind
and said to him, "Give God the praise!
We know that this man is a sinner."
He replied,
"If he is a sinner, I do not know.
One thing I do know is that I was blind and now I see."
So they said to him,
"What did he do to you?
How did he open your eyes?"
He answered them,
"I told you already and you did not listen.
Why do you want to hear it again?
Do you want to become his disciples, too?"
They ridiculed him and said,
"You are that man's disciple;
we are disciples of Moses!
We know that God spoke to Moses,
but we do not know where this one is from."
The man answered and said to them,
"This is what is so amazing,
that you do not know where he is from, yet he opened my eyes.
We know that God does not listen to sinners,
but if one is devout and does his will, he listens to him.
It is unheard of that anyone ever opened the eyes of a person born blind.
If this man were not from God,
he would not be able to do anything."
They answered and said to him,
"You were born totally in sin,
and are you trying to teach us?"
Then they threw him out.
 
When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out,
he found him and said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"
He answered and said,
"Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?"
Jesus said to him,
"You have seen him,
the one speaking with you is he."
He said,
"I do believe, Lord," and he worshiped him.
Then Jesus said,
"I came into this world for judgment,
so that those who do not see might see,
and those who do see might become blind."
 
Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this
and said to him, "Surely we are not also blind, are we?"
Jesus said to them,
"If you were blind, you would have no sin;
but now you are saying, 'We see,' so your sin remains.
 
or
JN 9:1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38
As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth.
He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva,
and smeared the clay on his eyes, and said to him,
"Go wash in the Pool of Siloam" — which means Sent —.
So he went and washed, and came back able to see.
 
His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said,
"Isn't this the one who used to sit and beg?"
Some said, "It is, "
but others said, "No, he just looks like him."
He said, "I am."
 
They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees.
Now Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a sabbath.
So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see.
He said to them,
"He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see."
So some of the Pharisees said,
"This man is not from God,
because he does not keep the sabbath."
But others said,
"How can a sinful man do such signs?"
And there was a division among them.
So they said to the blind man again,
"What do you have to say about him,
since he opened your eyes?"
He said, "He is a prophet."
 
They answered and said to him,
"You were born totally in sin,
and are you trying to teach us?"
Then they threw him out.
 
When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out,
he found him and said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"
He answered and said,
"Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?"
Jesus said to him,
"You have seen him, and
the one speaking with you is he."
He said,
"I do believe, Lord," and he worshiped him.
 
Offertory:
1.      O Dios Dawata
2.      Aniang among Halad
3.      Diyutay Lang Kini
4.      Sumasamo Kami (Judan)
5.      Panginoon Narito Ako
6.      Unang Alay (modified version)
7.      Now We Remain (Haas)
8.      Take Our Bread (Wise)
 
Communion:
1.      Kini Maong Akong Lawas
2.      Kinabuhi mo Kinabuhi Ko
3.      Ako ang Kahayag
4.      Balaan nga Gugma
5.      Dios Namo sa Kalooy
6.      Awit ng Paghilom (Aquino)
7.      Maging akin Muli (Aquino)
8.      Dakilang Pag-ibig (Pangilinan, Hontiveros) Prioritize Stanza 2. Swak sa 2R.
9.      Likhain mong Muli (Alejo, Francisco)
10.  God of Silence (Francisco)
11.  Empty Space (Go, Francisco)
 
Recessional:
1.      Kinsa?
2.      Ang Atong Tulubagon
3.      Alay sa Kapwa (Esteban, Hontiveros) Prioritize Stanza 3.
4.      Save Us, O Lord (Dufford)
 
 

4th Sunday of Lent - Year 2 Cycle C - March 27, 2022

 PLEASE PO CLICK OUR ADS BILANG SUPORTA NYO MAN LANG SA AMIN. SALAMAT PO.
 
Latin appears to be a dead language. Sometimes, though, it pops up in a few specific places. The Fourth Sunday of Lent is traditionally called Laetere Sunday (Sunday of rejoicing). It’s like a little relief from the austerity of much of Lent.
 
Laetare Sunday so called from the incipit of the Introit at Mass, "Laetare Jerusalem" ("O be joyful, Jerusalem"), is a name often used to denote the fourth Sunday of the season of Lent in the Christian liturgical calendar. This Sunday is also known as Mothering Sunday, Refreshment Sunday, Mid-Lent Sunday (in French mi-carême), and Rose Sunday (because the golden rose sent by the popes to Catholic sovereigns used to be blessed at this time). The term "Laetare Sunday" is used predominantly, though not exclusively, by Roman Catholics and Anglicans. The word translates from the Latin laetare, singular imperative of laetari to rejoice.

In the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and some Protestant traditions, there may be flowers on the high altar, and priests are given the option to wear rose-coloured vestments at Mass held on this day, in place of the violet vestments normally worn during Lent. The day is a day of relaxation from normal lenten rigors; a day of hope with Easter being at last within sight. Traditionally, even weddings (otherwise banned during Lent) could be performed on this day.

Laetare Sunday can fall on any date between March 1 and April 4.
 
Notes:
1. Turn down the mirth. Huwag mag-concert. Huwag bumirit.
2. Lent is the time for musical instruments also to be austere. Musical instruments during Lent should give only the bare minimum or necessary support to the singing (the human voice). Sustenance lang po.
 
Entrance:
1.      Tun-I Kami Ginoo
2.      Mag-awit Kita
3.      Dios Namo sa Kalooy
4.      Buksan ang Aming Puso (Tinio, Hontiveros)
5.      Blest be the Lord
6.      Seek the Lord (O’Connor)
 
First Reading         Jos 5:9a, 10-12
The LORD said to Joshua,
“Today I have removed the reproach of Egypt from you.”
 
While the Israelites were encamped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho,
they celebrated the Passover
on the evening of the fourteenth of the month.
On the day after the Passover,
they ate of the produce of the land
in the form of unleavened cakes and parched grain.
On that same day after the Passover,
on which they ate of the produce of the land, the manna ceased.
No longer was there manna for the Israelites,
who that year ate of the yield of the land of Canaan.
 
Responsorial         Psalm Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7.
R. (9a)  Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
            his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
            the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Glorify the LORD with me,
            let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
            and delivered me from all my fears.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
            and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
            and from all his distress he saved him.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
 
Second Reading          2 Cor 5:17-21
Brothers and sisters:
Whoever is in Christ is a new creation:
the old things have passed away;
behold, new things have come.
And all this is from God,
who has reconciled us to himself through Christ
and given us the ministry of reconciliation,
namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
not counting their trespasses against them
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
So we are ambassadors for Christ,
as if God were appealing through us.
We implore you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.
For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin,
so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
 
Verse before the Gospel Lk 15:18
I will get up and go to my Father and shall say to him:
Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
 
Gospel Lk 15:1-3, 11-32
Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So to them Jesus addressed this parable:
“A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father,
‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’
So the father divided the property between them.
After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings
and set off to a distant country
where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation.
When he had freely spent everything,
a severe famine struck that country,
and he found himself in dire need.
So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens
who sent him to his farm to tend the swine.
And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed,
but nobody gave him any.
Coming to his senses he thought,
‘How many of my father’s hired workers
have more than enough food to eat,
but here am I, dying from hunger.
I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him,
“Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
I no longer deserve to be called your son;
treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’
So he got up and went back to his father.
While he was still a long way off,
his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion.
He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.
His son said to him,

‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you;
I no longer deserve to be called your son.’
But his father ordered his servants,
‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him;
put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
Take the fattened calf and slaughter it.
Then let us celebrate with a feast,
because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again;
he was lost, and has been found.’
Then the celebration began.
Now the older son had been out in the field
and, on his way back, as he neared the house,
he heard the sound of music and dancing.
He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean.
The servant said to him,
‘Your brother has returned
and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf
because he has him back safe and sound.’
He became angry,
and when he refused to enter the house,
his father came out and pleaded with him.
He said to his father in reply,
‘Look, all these years I served you
and not once did I disobey your orders;
yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends.
But when your son returns
who swallowed up your property with prostitutes,
for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’
He said to him,
‘My son, you are here with me always;
everything I have is yours.
But now we must celebrate and rejoice,
because your brother was dead and has come to life again;
he was lost and has been found.’”
 
Offertory:
1.      O Dios Dawata
2.      Aniang among Halad
3.      Diyutay Lang Kini
4.      Sumasamo Kami (Judan)
5.      Panginoon Narito Ako
6.      Unang Alay (modified version)
7.      Now We Remain (Haas)
8.      Take Our Bread (Wise)
 
Communion:
1.      Kini Maong Akong Lawas
2.      Kinabuhi mo Kinabuhi Ko
3.      Ako ang Kahayag
4.      Balaan nga Gugma
5.      Dios Namo sa Kalooy
6.      Awit ng Paghilom (Aquino)
7.      Maging akin Muli (Aquino)
8.      Dakilang Pag-ibig (Pangilinan, Hontiveros) Prioritize Stanza 2. Swak sa 2R.
9.      Likhain mong Muli (Alejo, Francisco)
10.  God of Silence (Francisco)
11.  Empty Space (Go, Francisco)
 
Recessional:
1.      Kinsa?
2.      Ang Atong Tulubagon
3.      Alay sa Kapwa (Esteban, Hontiveros) Prioritize Stanza 3.
4.      Save Us, O Lord (Dufford)