Today Is: Fifth Sunday in Lent
Sun, 21 Mar 2021 -- The Lectionary Cycle is: B

Click for Responsorial Psalm

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Collect for: Fifth Sunday in Lent Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Old Testament Jeremiah 31:31-34 31 Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah -- 32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.' Officiant: The Word of the Lord. The People: Thanks be to God. Psalm Psalm 51 1 Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. 4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight -- That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge. 5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. 6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. 9 Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. 13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You. 14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, The God of my salvation, And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness. 15 O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise. 16 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart -- These, O God, You will not despise. 18 Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, With burnt offering and whole burnt offering; Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar. *At the end of the Psalms this is sung or said Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: * as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. New Testament Hebrews 5:5-10 5 So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.' 6 As He also says in another place: 'You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek'; 7 who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, 8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. 9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, 10 called by God as High Priest 'according to the order of Melchizedek,' Officiant: The Word of the Lord. The People: Thanks be to God. Gospel John 12:20-28 Introduction to the Gospel: Deacon:The Lord be with you. People: And also with you. Or And with your spirit Deacon: May the Lord be on our minds, on our lips, and on our hearts as we hear His Holy Gospel. The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Saint John. People: Glory to You, Lord Christ. Deacon: We are reading from John's Gospel chapter 12, beginning at verse 20. 20 Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. 21 Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, 'Sir, we wish to see Jesus.' 22 Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus. 23 But Jesus answered them, saying, 'The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. 24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. 25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor. 27 Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify Your name.' Then a voice came from heaven, saying, 'I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.' After the Gospel reading, the deacon elevates the book and says: Deacon: The Gospel of the Lord. People: Praise to You, Lord Christ. Prayers of the People Prayers of the People for: Fifth Sunday in Lent Brothers and sisters, God is the provider of all our needs. Let us therefore offer our prayers to the God whose ears are always open to us. That the Church will follow Christ's path of service and self-sacrifice. Lord in Your mercy,            Hear our prayer. That nations will seek peace and reconciliation. Lord in Your mercy,            Hear our prayer. That those who are preparing for Baptism and Confirmation will be filled with the joy of the Lord. Lord in Your mercy,            Hear our prayer. That the cries of those who suffer from poverty and homelessness will be heard by those who are able to meet their needs. Lord in Your mercy,            Hear our prayer. That those living in despair and hopelessness will be drawn into the loving embrace of Christ. Lord in Your mercy,            Hear our prayer. That during this Lenten season we will receive the grace to amend our lives and conform our ways to the will of God. Lord in Your mercy,            Hear our prayer. That those who are near death will remain faithful and be encouraged by the promise of eternal life. Lord in Your mercy,            Hear our prayer. Covenantal God, You have written Your law deep within our hearts. Hear our prayer and give us the grace to die to ourselves that we may be raised to newness of life.We ask this through Christ our Lord. AMEN