We are now on the 4th 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)
Lent is a short season of six weeks intended to prepare us for the great celebrations of Easter. Lent comes from the old Anglo-Saxon and Old German words for spring marked by days that lengthen. The idea of penitence and fasting during Lent may have begun in earlier, hungrier times as a means of spiritualizing real shortages of food at this time of year.
The readings for the First Sunday of Lent for Year C demonstrate that we must give our whole lives to God. In the first reading Moses explains that we must give our best offering to the Lord. The psalm sings of deliverance from trouble. In the second reading Paul tells us we must follow Jesus not just with our minds, but also with our hearts. In the gospel Jesus is tempted by the devil in the desert but resists, putting his trust in his Father instead.
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Entrance:
1. Tun-I Kami Ginoo
2. Pasaylo, Ginoo
3. Alay sa Kapwa (Esteban & Hontiveros)
4. Buksan ang aming puso (Tinio & Hontiveros)
5. Save us, O Lord (Dufford)
6. Though the mountains may fall (Schutte)
Kyrie:
1. Kaloy-I Kami Ginoo
2. Panginoon Maawa Ka (Francisco)
3. As we Prepare
No Gloria
First Reading Dt 26:4-10
Moses spoke to the people, saying:
“The priest shall receive the basket from you
and shall set it in front of the altar of the LORD, your God.
Then you shall declare before the Lord, your God,
‘My father was a wandering Aramean
who went down to Egypt with a small household
and lived there as an alien.
But there he became a nation
great, strong, and numerous.
When the Egyptians maltreated and oppressed us,
imposing hard labor upon us,
we cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers,
and he heard our cry
and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression.
He brought us out of Egypt
with his strong hand and outstretched arm,
with terrifying power, with signs and wonders;
and bringing us into this country,
he gave us this land flowing with milk and honey.
Therefore, I have now brought you the firstfruits
of the products of the soil
which you, O LORD, have given me.’
And having set them before the LORD, your God,
you shall bow down in his presence.”
Responsorial Psalm Ps 91:1-2, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15.
R. (cf. 15b) Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
say to the LORD, “My refuge and fortress,
my God in whom I trust.”
R. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
No evil shall befall you,
nor shall affliction come near your tent,
For to his angels he has given command about you,
that they guard you in all your ways.
R. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
Upon their hands they shall bear you up,
lest you dash your foot against a stone.
You shall tread upon the asp and the viper;
you shall trample down the lion and the dragon.
R. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
Because he clings to me, I will deliver him;
I will set him on high because he acknowledges my name.
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in distress;
I will deliver him and glorify him.
R. Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.
Second Reading Rom 10:8-13
Brothers and sisters:
What does Scripture say?
The word is near you,
in your mouth and in your heart
—that is, the word of faith that we preach—,
for, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.
For one believes with the heart and so is justified,
and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.
For the Scripture says,
No one who believes in him will be put to shame.
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek;
the same Lord is Lord of all,
enriching all who call upon him.
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Gospel Acclamation:
1. Ang mga Pulong mo
2. Pagdayeg Alang Kanimo
3. Alalahanin mo Panginoon
4. Wika Mo
5. Glory and Praise
6. Words of Life
Verse Before the Gospel Mt 4:4b
One does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
Gospel Lk 4:1-13
Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan
and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days,
to be tempted by the devil.
He ate nothing during those days,
and when they were over he was hungry.
The devil said to him,
“If you are the Son of God,
command this stone to become bread.”
Jesus answered him,
“It is written, One does not live on bread alone.”
Then he took him up and showed him
all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant.
The devil said to him,
“I shall give to you all this power and glory;
for it has been handed over to me,
and I may give it to whomever I wish.
All this will be yours, if you worship me.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“It is written
You shall worship the Lord, your God,
and him alone shall you serve.”
Then he led him to Jerusalem,
made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him,
“If you are the Son of God,
throw yourself down from here, for it is written:
He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,
and:
With their hands they will support you,
lest you dash your foot against a stone.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“It also says,
You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.”
When the devil had finished every temptation,
he departed from him for a time.
Offertory:
1. O Dios Dawata (Koro Viannista)
2. Kini Mao Akong Lawas
3. Alay Kapwa (Tinio & Hontiveros)
4. Kung ‘Yong nanaisin (Francisco)
5. Take and Receive
6. Prayer of Rupert Mayer
Sanctus:
1. Santos (Mass 4 Villanueva)
2. Santos (Bukas Palad)
3. Sanctus (pwede yung latin chant or yung English translation)
Acclamation:
1. Manluluwas sa Kalibutan
2. Si Kristo’y Namatay (Hontiveros)
3. Dying
Amen:
1. Amen (chord of A D)
2. Amen (Francisco, Arboleda, Reyes, Torres)
Pater Noster:
At your choice… If the congregation can participate to sing this, that would be better.
Doxology:
1. Kay Imo Man (Chord of Am)
2. Sapagkat
3. For the Kingdom
Agnus Dei:
1. Kordero sa Dios IV (chord of Dm-B)
2. Kordero ng Dios (Que)
3. Lamb of God (Folk)
Communion:
1. Misyon sa Tawo
2. Ang Atong Tulubagon
3. Ang Tawo Niining kalibutan
4. O Krus Kaluwasan
5. Awit ng Paghilom
6. Halina’t Lumapit sa Akin
7. Maging Akin Muli (Aquino)
8. Pagkabighani
9. Sa Dapit Hapon (Tabuena and Hontiveros)
10. Manatili Ka (Francisco)
1. Now we remain (Haas)
2. God of silence (Francisco)
3. Holy Darkness (Schute)
11. Anima Christi (Arboleda)
Recessional:
1. Asin ug Kahayag
2. Kinsa?
3. Sinong Makapaghihiwalay (Anunciata)
4. Maliban sa Mahulog sa Lupa
5. (See entrance song)
