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Home , Resurrection of Jesus

Weekly Prayer Service for St. Mary February 19-25, 2012 The Saving Death and of

Call to Prayer ALL: (Sign of the Cross) Come , fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit, and we shall be created, and You will renew the face of the earth. O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit instructs the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Spirit we may be ever wise and rejoice in his consolations. We make our prayer in the name of Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Word of God LEADER: A Reading from the of Luke (Proclaim :23) ...The Word of . ALL: Thanks be to God.

Catechesis

The is the saving death and resurrection of Jesus for the of the world. It is a core Christian belief that by his death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead, Jesus overcame death and sin. The Paschal Mystery of Christ offers to each of us the fruits of his redemp- tive work and stands at the center of the Good News of . The liturgy celebrates the Paschal Mystery, above all, in the “Sacred Triduum” of Holy Thursday, , and the Vigil. On Holy Thursday, by instituting the , Jesus anticipates his dying and rising from the dead. Jesus’ death on the cross and his Resurrection are bound to- gether as one redemptive action of divine love for the of the world. By his death on the cross, Jesus overcame sin and death. In rising, he brings new life, grace, and the Holy Spirit, so we might know the dignity of being adopted as sons and daughters of God. Hu- manity needs salvation from sin and death and the strength of new life in Christ. In , we die to sin with Christ and are raised to new life in the Holy Spirit. This dying and rising with Christ is our participation in the Pascal Mystery. +The Pascal Mystery of Christ’s cross and Resurrection stands at the center of the Good News of the Gospel that and the Church after them, proclaims to the world (CCC 571). This mystery of faith is proclaimed in the words of the . +God’s saving plan was accomplished “once and for all” in the redeeming death of his Son Je- sus Christ, who came from God to do the will of God. (Over) +Jesus’ death on the cross is both the Paschal that accomplishes the definitive re- demption of men and the sacrifice of the that restores humanity to commun- ion with God. The Paschal Mystery is unique; it completes and surpasses all . It overcomes the effects of our disobedience to God and is the means to our reconciliation with God (CCC 613-614). +The Paschal Mystery is the manifestation of God’s love in his Son, who pours out his life on the cross for our sins. Jesus substitutes his obedience for our human disobedience and re- veals his divine love as a unique source of eternal salvation (CCC 599-618). +We participate in the Paschal mystery through the , especially Baptism and the Eu- charist. In Baptism, we die and rise with Christ to a new life in the Holy Spirit. In the Eucha- rist, we are united with Christ’s unique offering on the cross, sacramentally present in every Eucharistic sacrifice. +Christ’s resurrection is an event historically attested to by the apostles, who met their risen Lord. The reality of Christ’s resurrection is also a transcendent event beyond the realm of human history. The apostolic witness to Christ’s Resurrection is the foundation of the Church’s proclamation of the Paschal Mystery to the world (CCC 638-658). +We believe that Christ Jesus ascended to and he will come at the end of time in glory to judge the living and the dead (CCC 659-682).

Application to Culture/ Faith Sharing Question LEADER: How do you united challenges and hardships with the sufferings of Christ on the cross? How do you experience the new life of his resurrection? Allow all members of your group to have 5-10 minutes To reflect or respond to the discussion question.

Concluding Prayer (Hymn from Easter , Byzantine Daily Worship) ALL: Now that we have seen the resurrection of Christ, let us adore the all-holy Lord Jesus, the only Sinless One. We bow in worship before your cross, O Christ, and we praise and glorify your resurrection, for You are God, and we have to other, and we magnify your name. AMEN (Sign of the Cross)

Further Reading and Study U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults, Chapter 8. , Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, (Lumen Gentium), 1-5. John Paul II, The of Man (Redemptor Hominis). Encyclical Letter, March 4,1979. Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA, and Margaret Walker, God Touched My Life: The Inspiring Autobiography of the Who Brought Song, Celebration, and to the World. Harper Collins, 1992.

** Prayer service adapted from Study Guide for the U.S. Adult Catholic Catechism -

Jem Sullivan, Ph.D., Our Sunday Visitor (2006) **