4. Votive Mass of the Mystery of the Holy Cross
ENTRANCE ANTIPHON
Cf. Gal 6: 14
We should glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
in whom is our salvation, life and resurrection,
through whom we are saved and delivered.
COLLECT
O God, who willed that your Only Begotten Son
should undergo the Cross to save the human race,
grant, we pray,
that we, who have known his mystery on earth,
may merit the grace of his redemption in heaven.
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.
READING I
From the New Testament During the Easter Season
From the Old Testament
Exodus 12
Wisdom 2
Isaiah 50
Isaiah 52
Zechariah 12
Ex 12:1-8, 11-14
The law regarding the Passover meal.
A reading from the Book of Exodus
The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,
“This month shall stand at the head of your calendar;
you shall reckon it the first month of the year.
Tell the whole community of Israel:
On the tenth of this month every one of your families
must procure for itself a lamb, one apiece for each household.
If a family is too small for a whole lamb,
it shall join the nearest household in procuring one
and shall share in the lamb
in proportion to the number of persons who partake of it.
The lamb must be a year-old male and without blemish.
You may take it from either the sheep or the goats.
You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month,
and then, with the whole assembly of Israel present,
it shall be slaughtered during the evening twilight.
They shall take some of its blood
and apply it to the two doorposts and the lintel
of every house in which they partake of the lamb.
That same night they shall eat its roasted flesh
with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
“This is how you are to eat it:
with your loins girt, sandals on your feet and your staff in hand,
you shall eat like those who are in flight.
It is the Passover of the LORD.
For on this same night I will go through Egypt,
striking down every firstborn of the land, both man and beast,
and executing judgment on all the gods of Egypt—I, the LORD!
But the blood will mark the houses where you are.
Seeing the blood, I will pass over you;
thus, when I strike the land of Egypt,
no destructive blow will come upon you.
“This day shall be a memorial feast for you,
which all your generations shall celebrate
with pilgrimage to the LORD, as a perpetual institution.”
The word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
Wis 2:1a,12-22
Let us condemn him to a shameful death.
A reading from the Book of Wisdom
The wicked said among themselves, thinking not aright:
“Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;
he sets himself against our doings,
Reproaches us for transgressions of the law
and charges us with violations of our training.
He professes to have knowledge of God
and styles himself a child of the LORD.
To us he is the censure of our thoughts;
merely to see him is a hardship for us.
Because his life is not like that of others,
and different are his ways.
He judges us debased;
he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure.
He calls blest the destiny of the just
and boasts that God is his Father.
Let us see whether his words be true;
let us find out what will happen to him.
For if the just one be the son of God, he will defend him
and deliver him from the hand of his foes.
With revilement and torture let us put the just one to the test
that we may have proof of his gentleness
and try his patience.
Let us condemn him to a shameful death;
for according to his own words, God will take care of him.”
These were their thoughts, but they erred;
for their wickedness blinded them,
And they knew not the hidden counsels of God;
neither did they count on a recompense of holiness
nor discern the innocent souls’ reward.
The word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
Is 50:4-9a
My face I did not shield from buffets and spitting.
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah
The Lord GOD has given me
a well-trained tongue,
That I might know how to speak to the weary
a word that will rouse them.
Morning after morning
he opens my ear that I may hear;
And I have not rebelled,
have not turned back.
I gave my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
My face I did not shield
from buffets and spitting.
The Lord GOD is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
He is near who upholds my right;
if anyone wishes to oppose me,
let us appear together.
Who disputes my right?
Let him confront me.
See, the Lord GOD is my help;
who will prove me wrong?
The word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
Is 52:13—53:12
He was pierced for our offenses.
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah
See, my servant shall prosper,
he shall be raised high and greatly exalted.
Even as many were amazed at him—
so marred was his look beyond human semblance
and his appearance beyond that of the sons of man—
so shall he startle many nations,
because of him kings shall stand speechless;
for those who have not been told shall see,
those who have not heard shall ponder it.
Who would believe what we have heard?
To whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
He grew up like a sapling before him,
like a shoot from the parched earth;
there was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him,
nor appearance that would attract us to him.
He was spurned and avoided by people,
a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity,
one of those from whom people hide their faces,
spurned, and we held him in no esteem.
Yet it was our infirmities that he bore,
our sufferings that he endured,
while we thought of him as stricken,
as one smitten by God and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our offenses,
crushed for our sins;
upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole,
by his stripes we were healed.
We had all gone astray like sheep,
each following his own way;
but the LORD laid upon him
the guilt of us all.
Though he was harshly treated, he submitted
and opened not his mouth;
like a lamb led to the slaughter
or a sheep before the shearers,
he was silent and opened not his mouth.
Oppressed and condemned, he was taken away,
and who would have thought any more of his destiny?
When he was cut off from the land of the living,
and smitten for the sin of his people,
a grave was assigned him among the wicked
and a burial place with evildoers,
though he had done no wrong
nor spoken any falsehood.
But the LORD was pleased
to crush him in infirmity.
If he gives his life as an offering for sin,
he shall see his descendants in a long life,
and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.
Because of his affliction
he shall see the light in fullness of days;
through his suffering, my servant shall justify many,
and their guilt he shall bear.
Therefore I will give him his portion among the great,
and he shall divide the spoils with the mighty,
because he surrendered himself to death
and was counted among the wicked;
and he shall take away the sins of many,
and win pardon for their offenses.
The word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
Zec 12:10-11,; 13:5-7
They shall look on him whom they have pierced.
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Zechariah
Thus says the LORD:
I will pour out on the house of David
and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem
a Spirit of grace and petition;
and they shall look on him whom they have thrust through,
and they shall mourn for him as one mourns for an only son,
and they shall grieve over him as one grieves over a firstborn.
On that day the mourning in Jerusalem shall be as great
as the mourning of Hadadrimmon, in the plain of Megiddo.
And if anyone asks him,
“What are these wounds on your chest?” he shall answer,
“With these I was wounded in the house of my dear ones.”
Awake, O sword, against my shepherd,
against the man who is my associate,
says the LORD of hosts.
Strike the shepherd
that the sheep may be dispersed,
and I will turn my hand against the little ones.
The word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
During the Easter Season
Acts 10
Acts 13
Revelation 1
Revelation 5
Acts 10:34-43
They put him to death by hanging him on a tree. This man God raised on the third day.
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles
Peter proceeded to speak, saying:
“In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.
Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.
You know the word that he sent to the children of Israel
as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all,
what has happened all over Judea,
beginning in Galilee after the baptism
that John preached,
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Spirit and power.
He went about doing good
and healing all those oppressed by the Devil,
for God was with him.
We are witnesses of all that he did
both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.
They put him to death by hanging him on a tree.
This man God raised on the third day and granted that he be visible,
not to all the people, but to us,
the witnesses chosen by God in advance,
who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
He commissioned us to preach to the people
and testify that he is the one appointed by God
as judge of the living and the dead.
To him all the prophets bear witness,
that everyone who believes in him
will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.”
The word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
Acts 13:26-33
What God promised to our ancestors he has brought to fulfillment for us by raising up Jesus.
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles
When Paul came to Antioch in Pisidia, he said in the synagogue:
“My brothers, children of the family of Abraham,
and those others among you who are God-fearing,
to us this word of salvation has been sent.
The inhabitants of Jerusalem and their leaders failed to recognize him,
and by condemning him they fulfilled the oracles of the prophets
that are read sabbath after sabbath.
For even though they found no grounds for a death sentence,
they asked Pilate to have him put to death,
and when they had accomplished all that was written about him,
they took him down from the tree and placed him in a tomb.
But God raised him from the dead,
and for many days he appeared to those
who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem.
These are now his witnesses before the people.
We ourselves are proclaiming this good news to you
that what God promised our fathers
he has brought to fulfillment for us, their children, by raising up Jesus,
as it is written in the second psalm,
You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.”
The word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
Rev 1:5-8
The firstborn of the dead, who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his Blood.
A reading from the Book of Revelation
Grace to you and peace from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness,
the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,
who has made us into a kingdom, priests for his God and Father,
to him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.
Behold, he is coming amid the clouds,
and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him.
All the peoples of the earth will lament him.
Yes. Amen.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God,
“the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty.”
The word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
Rev 5:6-12
With your Blood you purchased us for God.
A reading from the Book of Revelation
I, John, saw standing in the midst of the throne
and the four living creatures and the elders
a Lamb that seemed to have been slain.
He had seven horns and seven eyes;
these are the seven spirits of God sent out into the whole world.
He came and received the scroll
from the right hand of the One who sat on the throne.
When he took it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders
fell down before the Lamb.
Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense,
which are the prayers of the holy ones.
They sang a new hymn:
“Worthy are you to receive the scroll
and to break open its seals,
for you were slain and with your Blood you purchased for God
those from every tribe and tongue, people and nation.
You made them a kingdom and priests for our God,
and they will reign on earth.”
I looked again and heard the voices of many angels
who surrounded the throne and the living creatures and the elders.
They were countless in number, and they cried out in a loud voice:
“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength,
honor and glory and blessing.”
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 22
Psalm 31
Psalm 55
Psalm 69
Psalm 118
Ps 22:8-9, 17-18a, 19-20, 23-24
℟. (2a) My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
or:
℟. (Matthew 26:42) My Father, your will be done.
All who see me scoff at me;
they mock me with parted lips, they wag their heads:
“He relied on the LORD; let him deliver him,
let him rescue him, if he loves him.”
℟. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
Indeed, many dogs surround me,
a pack of evildoers closes in upon me;
They have pierced my hands and my feet;
I can count all my bones.
℟. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
They divide my garments among them,
and for my vesture they cast lots.
But you, O LORD, be not far from me;
O my help, hasten to aid me.
℟. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
I will proclaim your name to my brethren;
in the midst of the assembly I will praise you:
“You who fear the LORD, praise him;
all you descendants of Jacob, give glory to him;
revere him, all you descendants of Israel!”
℟. My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
Reading II
Verse Before the Gospel
Ps 31:2 and 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17 and 25
℟. (Luke 23:46) Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
In you, O LORD, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me.
Into your hands I commend my spirit;
you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God.
℟. Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
For all my foes I am an object of reproach,
a laughingstock to my neighbors, and a dread to my friends;
they who see me abroad flee from me.
I am forgotten like the unremembered dead;
I am like a dish that is broken.
℟. Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
But my trust is in you, O LORD;
I say, “You are my God.
In your hands is my destiny; rescue me
from the clutches of my enemies and my persecutors.”
℟. Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
Let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your kindness.
Take courage and be stouthearted,
all you who hope in the LORD.
℟. Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
Reading II
Verse Before the Gospel
Ps 55:5-6, 13, 14-15, 17-18, 23
℟. (23ab) Throw your cares on the Lord, and he will support you.
or:
℟. Alleluia.
My heart quakes within me;
the terror of death has fallen upon me.
Fear and trembling come upon me,
and horror overwhelms me.
℟. Throw your cares on the Lord, and he will support you.
or:
℟. Alleluia.
If an enemy had reviled me,
I could have borne it;
If he who hates me had vaunted himself against me,
I might have hidden from him.
℟. Throw your cares on the Lord, and he will support you.
or:
℟. Alleluia.
But you, my other self,
my companion and my bosom friend!
You whose comradeship I enjoyed;
at whose side I walked in procession in the house of God!
℟. Throw your cares on the Lord, and he will support you.
or:
℟. Alleluia.
But I will call upon God,
and the LORD will save me.
In the evening, and at dawn, and at noon,
I will grieve and moan,
and he will hear my voice.
℟. Throw your cares on the Lord, and he will support you.
or:
℟. Alleluia.
Cast your care upon the LORD,
and he will support you;
never will he permit the just man to be disturbed.
℟. Throw your cares on the Lord, and he will support you.
or:
℟. Alleluia.
Reading II
Verse Before the Gospel
Ps 69:8-10, 15-16, 17-19, 20-21, 22 and 27, 31 and 33- 34
℟. (14c) Lord, in your great love answer me.
or:
℟. (see 21cd) I looked for sympathy, there was none,; for consolers, not one could I find.
For your sake I bear insult,
and shame covers my face.
I have become an outcast to my brothers,
a stranger to my mother’s sons,
Because zeal for your house consumes me,
and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.
℟. Lord, in your great love answer me.
or:
℟. I looked for sympathy, there was none,; for consolers, not one could I find.
Answer me, O LORD, for bounteous is your kindness;
in your great mercy turn toward me.
Hide not your face from your servant;
in my distress make haste to answer me.
℟. Lord, in your great love answer me.
or:
℟. I looked for sympathy, there was none,; for consolers, not one could I find.
Come and ransom my life;
as an answer for my enemies, redeem me.
℟. Lord, in your great love answer me.
or:
℟. I looked for sympathy, there was none,; for consolers, not one could I find.
You know my reproach, my shame and my ignominy;
before you are all my foes.
Insult has broken my heart, and I am weak,
I looked for sympathy but there was none;
for consolers, not one could I find.
℟. Lord, in your great love answer me.
or:
℟. I looked for sympathy, there was none,; for consolers, not one could I find.
Rather, they put gall in my food;
and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
For the kept after him whom you smote,
and added to the pain of him you wounded.
℟. Lord, in your great love answer me.
or:
℟. I looked for sympathy, there was none,; for consolers, not one could I find.
I will praise the name of God in song,
and I will glorify him with thanksgiving;
“See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in the bonds he spurns not.”
℟. Lord, in your great love answer me.
or:
℟. I looked for sympathy, there was none,; for consolers, not one could I find.
Reading II
Verse Before the Gospel
Ps 118:5-6, 10-12, 13-15, 16-18, 19-21, 22-24
℟. (1) Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
In my straits I called upon the LORD;
the LORD answered me and set me free.
The LORD is with me; I fear not;
what can man do against me?
The LORD is with me to help me,
and I shall look down upon my foes.
℟. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
All the nations encompassed me;
in the name of the LORD, I crushed them.
They encompassed me on every side;
in the name of the LORD I crushed them.
They encompassed me like bees,
they flared up like fire among thorns;
in the name of the LORD I crushed them.
℟. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
I was hard pressed and was falling,
but the LORD helped me.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
The joyful shout of victory
in the tents of the just:
“The right hand of the LORD has struck with power.”
℟. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
“The right hand of the Lou, is exalted;
the right hand of the Loup has struck with power.”
I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the LORD.
Though the LORD has indeed chastised me,
yet he has not delivered me to death.
℟. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
Open to me the gates of justice;
I will enter them and give thanks to the LORD.
This is the gate of the LORD;
the just shall enter it.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and have been my savior.
℟. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
℟. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love is everlasting.
Verse Before the Gospel
READING II
1 Corinthians 1
Ephesians 2
Philippians 2
Philippians 3
Hebrews 5
1 Cor 1:18-25
We proclaim Christ crucified.
A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians
Brothers and sisters:
The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
For it is written:
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the learning of the learned I will set aside.
Where is the wise one?
Where is the scribe?
Where is the debater of this age?
Has not God made the wisdom of the world foolish?
For since in the wisdom of God
the world did not come to know God through wisdom,
it was the will of God through the foolishness of the proclamation
to save those who have faith.
For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom,
but we proclaim Christ crucified,
a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike,
Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom,
and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
The word of the Lord.
Verse Before the Gospel
Eph 2:13-18
Christ is our peace, who broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh.
A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians
Brothers and sisters:
In Christ Jesus you who once were far off
have become near by the blood of Christ.
For he is our peace, he who made both one
and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh,
abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims,
that he might create in himself one new person in place of the two,
thus establishing peace,
and might reconcile both with God,
in one body, through the cross,
putting that enmity to death by it.
He came and preached peace to you who were far off
and peace to those who were near,
for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
The word of the Lord.
Verse Before the Gospel
Phil 2:5-11
He humbled himself. Because of this God greatly exalted him.
A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians
Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
The word of the Lord.
Verse Before the Gospel
Phil 3:8-14
Because of Christ, I consider everything as a loss, being conformed to his death.
A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians
Brothers and sisters,
I consider everything as a loss
because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things
and I consider them so much rubbish,
that I may gain Christ
and be found in him,
not having any righteousness of my own based on the law
but that which comes through faith in Christ,
the righteousness from God,
depending on faith to know him and the power of his resurrection
and the sharing of his sufferings by being conformed to his death,
if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
It is not that I have already taken hold of it
or have already attained perfect maturity,
but I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it,
since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ Jesus.
Brothers and sisters, I for my part
do not consider myself to have taken possession.
Just one thing: forgetting what lies behind
but straining forward to what lies ahead,
I continue my pursuit toward the goal,
the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus.
The word of the Lord.
Verse Before the Gospel
Heb 5:7-9
Christ learned obedience and became the source of eternal salvation.
A reading from the Letter to the Hebrews
In the days when Christ Jesus was in the flesh,
he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears
to the one who was able to save him from death,
and he was heard because of his reverence.
Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered;
and when he was made perfect,
he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.
The word of the Lord.
VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL
℟. Alleluia, alleluia.
1. Phil 2:8-9
Christ humbled, himself, becoming obedient to death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this God highly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name that is above every name.
2. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you,
because by your Cross you have redeemed the world.
3. Through wood we became slaves, and through the holy Cross we were freed;
the fruit of the tree seduced us, the Son of God redeemed us.
℟. Alleluia, alleluia.
GOSPEL
Readings from the Passion
Mark 8
Mark 12
Luke 24
John 12
Mark 8:31-34
The Son of Man must suffer greatly.
✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark
Jesus began to teach his disciples
that the Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed, and rise after three days.
He spoke this openly.
Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples,
rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them,
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Prayer Over the Offerings
Mk 12:1-12
They seized him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.
✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark
Jesus began to speak to the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders in parables.
“A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it,
dug a wine press, and built a tower.
Then he leased it to tenant farmers and left on a journey.
At the proper time he sent a servant to the tenants
to obtain from them some of the produce of the vineyard.
But they seized him, beat him,
and sent him away empty-handed.
Again he sent them another servant.
And that one they beat over the head and treated shamefully.
He sent yet another whom they killed.
So, too, many others;
some they beat, others they killed.
He had one other to send, a beloved son.
He sent him to them last of all, thinking,
‘They will respect my son.’
But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’
So they seized him and killed him,
and threw him out of the vineyard.
What then will the owner of the vineyard do?
He will come, put the tenants to death, and give the vineyard to others.
Have you not read this Scripture passage:
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?”
They were seeking to arrest him
but they feared the crowd,
for they realized that he had addressed the parable to them.
So they left him and went away.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Prayer Over the Offerings
Lk 24:35-48
Look at my hands and my feet
✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
The disciples recounted what had taken place on the way,
and how Jesus was made known to them
in the breaking of bread.
While they were still speaking about this,
he stood in their midst and said to them,
“Peace be with you.”
But they were startled and terrified
and thought that they were seeing a ghost.
Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled?
And why do questions arise in your hearts?
Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.
Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones
as you can see I have.”
And as he said this,
he showed them his hands and his feet.
While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed,
he asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?”
They gave him a piece of baked fish;
he took it and ate it in front of them.
He said to them,
“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you,
that everything written about me in the law of Moses
and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.”
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
And he said to them,
“Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer
and rise from the dead on the third day
and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,
would be preached in his name
to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Prayer Over the Offerings
Jn 12:31-36a
✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
Jesus said to the crowd:
“Now is the time of judgment on this world;
now the ruler of this world will be driven out.
And when I am lifted up from the earth,
I will draw everyone to myself.”
He said this indicating the kind of death he would die.
So the crowd answered him,
“We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever.
Then how can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up?
Who is this Son of Man?”
Jesus said to them,
“The light will be among you only a little while.
Walk while you have the light,
so that darkness may not overcome you.
Whoever walks in the dark does not know where he is going.
While you have the light, believe in the light,
so that you may become children of the light.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Prayer Over the Offerings
Readings from the Account of the Lord’s Passion
Matthew 26
Matthew 27
Mark 14:55-65
Mark 15:1-15
Mark 15:16-20
Mark 15:33-39; 16:1-6
Luke 23; 24
John 19
Mt 26:47-56
Have you come out as a robber, with swords and clubs to seize me?
✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
While he was still speaking,
Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived,
accompanied by a large crowd, with swords and clubs,
who had come from the chief priests and the elders of the people.
His betrayer had arranged a sign with them, saying,
“The man I shall kiss is the one; arrest him.”
Immediately he went over to Jesus and said,
“Hail, Rabbi!” and he kissed him.
Jesus answered him,
“Friend, do what you have come for.”
Then stepping forward they laid hands on Jesus and arrested him.
And behold, one of those who accompanied Jesus
put his hand to his sword, drew it,
and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his ear.
Then Jesus said to him,
“Put your sword back into its sheath,
for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.
Do you think that I cannot call upon my Father
and he will not provide me at this moment
with more than twelve legions of angels?
But then how would the Scriptures be fulfilled
which say that it must come to pass in this way?”
At that hour Jesus said to the crowds,
“Have you come out as against a robber,
with swords and clubs to seize me?
Day after day I sat teaching in the temple area,
yet you did not arrest me.
But all this has come to pass
that the writings of the prophets may be fulfilled.”
Then all the disciples left him and fled.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Prayer Over the Offerings
Mt 27:33-50
Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit.
✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
They came to a place called Golgotha
— which means Place of the Skull —,
they gave Jesus wine to drink mixed with gall.
But when he had tasted it, he refused to drink.
After they had crucified him,
they divided his garments by casting lots;
then they sat down and kept watch over him there.
And they placed over his head the written charge against him:
This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.
Two revolutionaries were crucified with him,
one on his right and the other on his left.
Those passing by reviled him, shaking their heads and saying,
“You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,
save yourself, if you are the Son of God,
and come down from the cross!”
Likewise the chief priests with the scribes and elders mocked him and said,
“He saved others; he cannot save himself.
So he is the king of Israel!
Let him come down from the cross now,
and we will believe in him.
He trusted in God;
let him deliver him now if he wants him.
For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”
The revolutionaries who were crucified with him
also kept abusing him in the same way.
From noon onward, darkness came over the whole land
until three in the afternoon.
And about three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”
which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Some of the bystanders who heard it said,
“This one is calling for Elijah.”
Immediately one of them ran to get a sponge;
he soaked it in wine, and putting it on a reed,
gave it to him to drink.
But the rest said,
‘Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to save him.”
But Jesus cried out again in a loud voice,
and gave up his spirit.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Prayer Over the Offerings
Mk 14:32-41
✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark
Then they came to a place named Gethsemane,
and he said to his disciples,
“Sit here while I pray.”
He took with him Peter, James, and John,
and began to be troubled and distressed.
Then he said to them, “My soul is sorrowful even to death.
Remain here and keep watch.”
He advanced a little and fell to the ground and prayed
that if it were possible the hour might pass by him;
he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to you.
Take this cup away from me,
but not what I will but what you will.”
When he returned he found them asleep.
He said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep?
Could you not keep watch for one hour?
Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test.
The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”
Withdrawing again, he prayed, saying the same thing.
Then he returned once more and found them asleep,
for they could not keep their eyes open
and did not know what to answer him.
He returned a third time and said to them,
“Are you still sleeping and taking your rest?
It is enough. The hour has come.
Behold, the Son of Man is to be handed over to sinners.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Prayer Over the Offerings
Mk 15:1-15
✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark
As soon as morning came,
the chief priests with the elders and the scribes,
that is, the whole Sanhedrin, held a council.
They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate.
Pilate questioned him,
“Are you the king of the Jews?”
He said to him in reply, “You say so.”
The chief priests accused him of many things.
Again Pilate questioned him,
“Have you no answer?
See how many things they accuse you of.”
Jesus gave him no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.
Now on the occasion of the feast he used to release to them
one prisoner whom they requested.
A man called Barabbas was then in prison
along with the rebels who had committed murder in a rebellion.
The crowd came forward and began to ask him
to do for them as he was accustomed.
Pilate answered,
“Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?”
For he knew that it was out of envy
that the chief priests had handed him over.
But the chief priests stirred up the crowd
to have him release Barabbas for them instead.
Pilate again said to them in reply,
“Then what do you want me to do
with the man you call the king of the Jews?”
They shouted again, “Crucify him.”
Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?”
They only shouted the louder, “Crucify him.”
So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd,
released Barabbas to them and, after he had Jesus scourged,
handed him over to be crucified.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Prayer Over the Offerings
Mk 15:16-20
They clothed him in purple, and weaving a crown of thorns, placed it on him.
✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark
The soldiers led him away inside the palace,
that is, the praetorium, and assembled the whole cohort.
They clothed him in purple and,
weaving a crown of thorns, placed it on him.
They began to salute him with, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
and kept striking his head with a reed and spitting upon him.
They knelt before him in homage.
And when they had mocked him,
they stripped him of the purple cloak,
dressed him in his own clothes,
and led him out to crucify him.
Prayer Over the Offerings
Mk 15:33-39, 16:1-6
✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark
At noon darkness came over the whole land
until three in the afternoon.
And at three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
“Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”
which is translated,
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Some of the bystanders who heard it said,
“Look, he is calling Elijah.”
One of them ran, soaked a sponge with wine, put it on a reed
and gave it to him to drink saying,
“Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to take him down.”
Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last.
The veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom.
When the centurion who stood facing him
saw how he breathed his last he said,
“Truly this man was the Son of God!”
When the sabbath was over,
Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome
bought spices so that they might go and anoint him.
Very early when the sun had risen,
on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb.
They were saying to one another,
“Who will roll back the stone for us
from the entrance to the tomb?”
When they looked up,
they saw that the stone had been rolled back;
it was very large.
On entering the tomb they saw a young man
sitting on the right side, clothed in a white robe,
and they were utterly amazed.
He said to them, “Do not be amazed!
You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified.
He has been raised; he is not here.
Behold the place where they laid him.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Prayer Over the Offerings
Lk 23:33-34, 39-46
Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
When they came to the place called the Skull,
they crucified him and the criminals there,
one on his right, the other on his left.
Then Jesus said,
“Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”
They divided his garments by casting lots.
Now one of the criminals hanging there
reviled Jesus, saying,
“Are you not the Christ?
Save yourself and us.”
The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply,
“Have you no fear of God,
for you are subject to the same condemnation?
And indeed, we have been condemned justly,
for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes,
but this man has done nothing criminal.”
Then he said,
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
He replied to him,
“Amen, I say to you,
today you will be with me in Paradise.”
It was now about noon and darkness came over the whole land
until three in the afternoon
because of an eclipse of the sun.
Then the veil of the temple was torn down the middle.
Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”;
and when he had said this he breathed his last.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Prayer Over the Offerings
Jn 19:28-37
✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
One of the soldiers thrust his lance into his side, and immediately Blood and water flowed.
Jesus, aware that everything was now finished,
in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
Jesus said, “I thirst.”
There was a vessel filled with common wine.
So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop
and put it up to his mouth.
When Jesus had taken the wine, he said,
“It is finished.”
And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.
Now since it was preparation day,
in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath,
for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one,
the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken
and that they be taken down.
So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first
and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus.
But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead,
they did not break his legs,
but one soldier thrust his lance into his side,
and immediately blood and water flowed out.
An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true;
he knows that he is speaking the truth,
so that you also may come to believe.
For this happened so that the Scripture passage might be fulfilled:
Not a bone of it will be broken.
And again another passage says:
They will look upon him whom they have pierced.
The Gospel of the Lord.
PRAYER OVER THE OFFERINGS
May this oblation, O Lord,
which on the altar of the Cross
canceled the offense of the whole world,
cleanse us, we pray, of all our sins.
Through Christ our Lord.
Preface of the Most Holy Cross of Preface I of the Passion of the Lord.
PREFACE
℣. The Lord be with you.
℟. And with your spirit.
℣. Lift up your hearts.
℟. We lift them up to the Lord.
℣. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
℟. It is right and just.
Preface of the Triumph of the Cross
The victory of the glorious Cross.
It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,
always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God.
For you placed the salvation of the human race
on the wood of the Cross,
so that, where death arose,
life might again spring forth
and the evil one, who conquered on a tree,
might likewise on a tree be conquered,
through Christ our Lord.
Through him the Angels praise your majesty,
Dominions adore and Powers tremble before you.
Heaven and the Virtues of heaven and the blessed Seraphim
worship together with exultation.
May our voices, we pray, join with theirs
in humble praise, as we acclaim:
Preface I of the Passion of the Lord
The Passion of the Lord.
It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,
always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God.
For through the saving Passion of your Son
the whole word has received a heart
to confess the infinite power of your majesty,
since by the wondrous power of the Cross
your judgment on the world is now revealed
and the authority of Christ crucified.
And so, Lord, with all the Angels and Saints,
we, too, give you thanks, as in exultation we acclaim:
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
COMMUNION ANTIPHON
Jn 12:32
When I am lifted from the earth,
I will draw everyone to myself, says the Lord.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Having been nourished by your holy banquet,
we beseech you, Lord Jesus Christ,
to bring those you have redeemed
by the wood of your life-giving