Liturgical Information
The Fifth Sunday of Lent (C)

Liturgical Color: Violet

Themes: forgiveness, pardon, justice, deliverance, justification

Entrance Antiphon [Introit]:

Give me justice, O God,
and plead my cause against a nation that is faithless.
From the deceitful and cunning rescue me,
for you, O God, are my strength. Psalm 43:1-2 [Roman Missal]

Iudica me Deus, et discerne causam meam de gente non sancta: ab homine iniquo et doloso eripe me: quia tu es Deus meus, et fortitudo mea.
Ps. Emitte lucem tuam, et veritatem tuam: ipsa me deduxerunt, et adduxerunt in montem sanctum tuum, et in tabernacula tua. [Graduale Romanum, p.120]

Deus meus, eripe me de manu peccatoris. [Graduale simplex, p.108]
Verses of Psalm 71 can also be sung between repetitions of the antiphon.

Collect:

By your help, we beseech you, Lord our God,
may we walk eagerly in that same chari- ty

with which, out of love for the world
your Son handed himself o- ver to death.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Ho-ly Spirit,
God, for ev-er and ev-er. A-men.

Lectionary Readings:

Isaiah 43:16-21 [Behold, I will do something new; I will make rivers in the desert. /v.18]
Psalm 126:1-2 / 2-3 / 4-5 / 6 [R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy. /v.3]
Philippians 3:8-14 [Whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. /v.7]
Gospel Verse: Joel 2:12-13 [Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart; for I am gracious and merciful.]
John 8:1-11 [He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her. /v.7]

When catechumens and candidates for reception are present, readings may be chosen from the Year A cycle. See Year A - 5th Sunday of Lent

Offertory Antiphon:

I will give thanks to you with an upright heart; with all my heart I seek you. Be good to your servant that I may live and keep your words. Give me life according to your word. Psalm 119:7,10,17,25 **
Verses of Psalm 22 can also be sung between repetitions of the antiphon.

Confitebor tibi, Domine, in toto corde meo: retribue servo tuo: vivam, et custodiam sermones tuos: vivifica me secundum verbum tuum, Domine. [Graduale Romanum, p.123]

Confitebor tibi, Domine, in toto corde meo: retribue servo tuo: vivam, et custodiam sermones tuos: vivifica me secundum verbum tuum, Domine. [Gregorian Missal, p.269/291]

Iudica causam meam: defende, quia potens es Domine. [Graduale simplex, p.112]
Verses of Psalm 22 can also be sung between repetitions of the antiphon.

Prayer over the Offerings:

Hear us, almighty God,
and, having instilled in your servants
the teachings of the Christian faith,

gra- ciously purify them
by the working of this sacrifice.

Through Christ our Lord. A-men.

Preface I of Lent: [The spiritual meaning of Lent]

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,
through Christ our Lord.

For by your gracious gift each year
your faithful await the sacred paschal feasts
with the joy of minds made pure,
so that, more eagerly intent on prayer
and on the works of charity,
and participating in the mysteries
by which that have been reborn,
they may be led to the fullness of grace
that you bestow on your sons and daughters.

And so, with Angels and Archangels,
with Thrones and Dominions,
and with all the hosts and Powers of heaven,
we sing the hymn of your glory,
as without end we acclaim:

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts…

The Preface for the Fifth Sunday of Lent [Lazarus] may be used when the Year A Gospel is proclaimed.

Communion Antiphon:

Amen, Amen I say to you: Unless a grain of wheat
falls to the ground and dies, it remains a single grain.
But if it dies, it bears much fruit. John 12:24 [Roman Missal]

The Communion Antiphon, "Everyone who lives…" may be used when the Year A Gospel is proclaimed.

(C) Nemo te condemnavit, mulier? Nemo, Domine. Nec ego te condemnabo: iam amplius noli peccare. Jn 8:10-11 [Graduale Romanum, p.124] Psalm 32:1,2,3,5ab,5cd,8,10,11 can also be sung between repetitions of this antiphon.

The Communion Antiphon, "Videns Dominus…" may be used when the Year A Gospel is proclaimed. [Graduale Romanum, p.124]

(C) Nemo te condemnavit, mulier? Nemo, Domine. Nec ego te condemnabo: iam amplius noli peccare. Jn 8:10-11 [Gregorian Missal, p.272/294]

The Communion Antiphon, "Videns Dominus…" may be used when the Year A Gospel is proclaimed. [Gregorian Missal, p.271/293]

Pater, si non potest hic calix transire, nisi bibam illum, fiat voluntas tua. [Graduale simplex, p.113]
Verses of Psalm 116 can also be sung between repetitions of this antiphon.

Prayer after Communion:

We pray, almighty God,
that we may always be counted among the members of Christ,

in whose Body and Blood we have com- munion.

Who lives and reigns for ev-er and ev-er. A-men.

Prayer over the People:

Bless, O Lord, your people,
who long for the gift of your mercy,
and grant that what, at your prompting, they desire
they may receive by your generous gift.
Through Christ our Lord.

** An official, approved English translation of the Offertory Antiphon has never been published. The offertory antiphon used here is from the New American Bible, a Scripture translation approved for liturgical use in the United States.

The English translation of the Entrance Antiphon [Introit], Collect, Psalm Refrain, Gospel Verse, Prayer over the Offerings, Preface, Communion Antiphon, Prayer after Communion, and Prayer over the People from The Roman Missal, © Copyright 2010, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corp. All rights reserved.

Liturgical InformationThe Fifth Sunday of Lent (C)