Suggested Readings for Holy Communion for the First Time
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The Holy Eucharist First Reading from the Old Testament Outside the Easter Season 1 2 A reading from the book of Genesis A reading from the book of Exodus 14:18-20 12:21-27 He brought bread and wine. When the Lord sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, he will pass over Melchizedek king of Salem brought bread and the door. wine; he was a priest of God Most High. He pronounced this blessing: Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, ‘Go and choose animals from the flock on ‘Blessed be Abraham by God Most High, creator behalf of your families, and kill the Passover victim. of heaven and earth, Then take a spray of hyssop, dip it in the blood and blessed be God Most High for handing over that is in the basin, and with the blood from the your enemies you.’ basin touch the lintel and the two doorposts. Let none of you venture out of the house till morning. And Abraham gave him a tithe of everything. Then, when the Lord goes through Egypt to strike it, and sees the blood on the lintel and on the two This is the word of the Lord. doorposts, he will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to enter your homes and strike. You Responsorial Psalm must keep these rules as an ordinance for all time Ps 109:1-4. Alt. Rv. 4 for you and your children. When you enter the land that the Lord is giving you, as he promised, you R A priest for ever, must keep to this ritual. And when your children a priest like Melchizedek of old, ask you, “What does this ritual mean?” you will tell Christ the Lord offered bread and wine. them, “It is the sacrifice of the Passover in honour of the Lord who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt, and struck Egypt but spared or our houses”.’ And the people bowed down and worshipped. R You are a priest for ever, a priest like Melchizedek of old. This is the word of the Lord. 1. The Lord’s revelation to my Master: Responsorial Psalm ‘Sit on my right: Ps 33:2-11. R v.9 I will put your foes beneath your feet. R R Taste and see that the Lord is good. 2. The Lord will send from Zion your sceptre of power: or rule in the midst of all your foes. R R Alleluia! 3. A prince from the day of your birth on the holy mountains; R 1. I will bless the Lord at all times, from the womb before the daybreak I begot his praise always on my lips; you. R in the Lord my soul shall make its boast. The humble shall hear and be glad. R 4. The Lord has sworn an oath he will not change. ‘You are a priest for ever, 2. Glorify the Lord with me. a priest like Melchizedek of old.’ R Together let us praise his name. I sought the Lord and he answered me; from all my terrors he set me free. R Grow in Love | Liturgy Preparation Sheet | The Holy Eucharist 1 3. Look towards him and be radiant; Responsorial Psalm let your faces not be abashed. Ps 77:3-4. 7. 23-25. 54. R v.24 This poor man called; the Lord heard him and rescued him from all his distress. R R The Lord gave them bread from heaven. R Taste and see that the Lord is good. 1. The things we have heard and understood the things our fathers have told us’ or we will not hide from their children but will tell them to the next generation. R Alleluia! They too should arise and tell their sons that they too should set their hope in God. R 4. The angel of the Lord is encamped around those who revere him, to rescue them. 2. He commanded the clouds above Taste and see that the Lord is good. and opened the gates of heaven. He is happy who seeks refuge in him. R He rained down manna for their food and gave them bread from heaven. R 5. Revere the Lord, you his saints. They lack nothing, those who revere him. 3. Mere men ate the bread of angels. Strong lions suffer want and go hungry He sent them abundance of food. but those who seek the Lord lack no blessing. R He brought them to his holy land, to the mountain which his right hand had 3 won. R A reading from the first book of Exodus 4 16:2-4.12-15 I will rain down bread for you from the A reading from the book of Exodus heavens. 24:3-8 This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord The whole community of the sons of Israel began has made with you. to complain against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness and said to them, ‘Why did we not die Moses went and told the people all the commands at the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we of the Lord and all the ordinances. In answer, all were able to sit down to pans of meat and could the people said with one voice, ‘We will observe all eat bread to our heart’s content! As it is, you have the commands that the Lord has decreed.’ Moses brought us to this wilderness to starve this whole put all the commands of the Lord into writing, company to death!’ and early next morning he built an altar at the Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Now I will rain foot of the mountain, with twelve standing-stones down bread for you from the heavens. Each day for the twelve tribes of Israel. Then he directed the people are to go and gather the day’s portion; certain young Israelites to offer holocausts and I propose to test them in this way to see whether to immolate bullocks to the Lord as communion they will follow my law or not.’ sacrifices. Half of the blood Moses took up and put ‘I have heard the complaints of the sons of into basins, the other half he cast on the altar. And Israel. Say this to them. “Between the two evenings taking the Book of the Covenant he read it to the you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall listening people, and they said, ‘We will observe have bread to your heart’s content. Then you will all that the Lord has decreed; we will obey.’ Then learn that I, the Lord, am your God.” ’ And so it Moses took the blood and cast it towards the came about: quails flew up In the evening, and people. ‘This’ he said ‘is the blood of the Covenant they covered the camp; in the morning there was that the Lord has made with you, containing all a coating of dew all round the camp. When the these rules.’ coating of dew lifted, there on the surface of the desert was a thing delicate, powdery, as fine as This is the word of the Lord. hoarfrost on the ground. When they saw this, the sons of Israel said to one another, ‘What is that?’ not knowing what it was. ‘That’ said Moses to them ‘is the bread the Lord gives you to eat.’ This is the word of the Lord. Grow in Love | Liturgy Preparation Sheet | The Holy Eucharist 2 Responsorial Psalm Responsorial Psalm Ps 115:12-13. 15-18. R 1 Cor 10:16 Ps 144:10-11. 15-18. R cf. v.R R The blessing-cup that we bless R You open wide your hand, Lord, is a communion in the blood of Christ. and grant our desires. or 1. All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord, and your friends shall repeat their blessing. R Alleluia! They shall speak of the glory of your reign and declare your might, O God. R 1. How can I repay the Lord for his goodness to me? 2. The eyes of all creatures look to you The cup of salvation I will raise; and you give them their food in due time. I will call on the Lord’s name. R You open wide your hand, grant the desires of all who live. R 2. O precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful. 3. The Lord is just in all his ways Your servant, Lord, your servant am I; and loving in all his deeds. you have loosened my bonds. R He is close to all who call him, who call on him from their hearts. R 3. A thanksgiving sacrifice I make; I will call on the Lord’s name. 6 My vows to the Lord I will fulfil A reading from the first book of Kings before all his people. R 19:4-8 Strengthened by that food he walked until he 5 reached the mountain of God. A reading from the book of Deuteronomy Elijah went into the wilderness, a day’s journey, 8:2-3. 14-16 and sitting under a furze bush wished he were He fed you with manna which neither you nor dead. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘I have had enough. Take my your fathers had known. life; I am no better than my ancestors.’ Then he lay down and went to sleep. But an angel touched him Moses said to the people: ‘Remember how the and said, ‘Get up and eat.’ He looked round, and Lord your God led you for forty years in the there at his head was a scone baked on hot stones, wilderness, to humble you, to test you and know and a jar of water.