Fifth Sunday of Lent
Processional Hymn - From Ashes to the Living Font
From ashes to the living font
Your Church must journey, Lord,
Baptised in grace, in grace renewed
By your most holy word.
Through fasting, prayer, and charity,
Your voice speaks deep within,
Returning us to ways of truth
And turning us from sin.
When we self-righteously condemn,
You ask: “Who has no sin?”
We hear you say, “Go sin no more.”
New life in you begins.
From ashes to the living font
Your Church must journey still,
Through cross and tomb to Easter joy,
in Spirit-fire fulfilled.
1st Reading – Isaiah 43:16-21
Thus says the LORD, who opens a way in the sea and a path in the mighty waters, who leads out chariots and horsemen, a powerful army, till they lie prostrate together, never to rise, snuffed out and quenched like a wick.
Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; see, I am doing something new!
Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
In the desert I make a way, in the wasteland, rivers.
Wild beasts honor me, jackals and ostriches, for I put water in the desert and rivers in the wasteland for my chosen people to drink, the people whom I formed for myself, that they might announce my praise.
Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 126
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion, we thought we were dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongues, songs of joy.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Then the nations themselves said, “What great deeds the LORD worked for them.”
What great deeds the LORD worked for us! Indeed, we were glad.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Bring back our exiles, O LORD, as streams in the south.
Those who are sowing in tears will sing when they reap.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
They go out, they go out, full of tears, bearing seed for the sowing;
They come back, they come back with a song, bearing their sheaves.
R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
2nd Reading – Philippians 3:8-14
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.
Gospel – John 8:1-11
Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them.
Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle.
They said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery.
Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.
So what do you say?”
They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him.
Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.
But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin
be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Again he bent down and wrote on the ground.
And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders.
So he was left alone with the woman before him.
Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they?
Has no one condemned you?”
She replied, “No one, sir.”
Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you.
Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”
Prayer for Our Lady of Angels Parish
Heavenly Father, we thank you for gathering us together and calling us to serve as your disciples.
You have charged us through your Son, Jesus, with the great mission of evangelizing and witnessing your love to the world.
Send your Holy Spirit to guide us as we discern your will for the spiritual renewal of our parish.
Give us strength, courage, and clear vision as we use our gifts to serve you.
We entrust our parish family to the care of Mary, our mother, and ask for her intercession and guidance, as we strive to build a parish that loves God, embraces all people, and shares the Gospel joyfully.
Amen.
Offertory Hymn - Only This I Want
Only this I want: But to know the Lord
And to bear his cross, so to wear the crown he wore.
All but this is loss, worthless refuse to me
For to gain the Lord is to gain all I need.
Only this I want: But to know the Lord
And to bear his cross, so to wear the crown he wore.
I will run the race; I will fight the good fight
So to win the prize of the kingdom of my Lord.
Only this I want: But to know the Lord
And to bear his cross, so to wear the crown he wore.
Let your heart be glad, always glad in the Lord.
So to shine like the stars in the darkness of the night.
Only this I want: But to know the Lord
And to bear his cross, so to wear the crown he wore.
Communion Hymn - The Cross of Jesus
Come, O God, renew your people,
We who long to see your face.
Strengthen hearts that have grown feeble;
Fill our lives with truth and grace.
Only you can win our freedom;
Only you can bring us peace.
Only in the cross of Jesus
Will the captives find release.
Deep within create a new heart;
Melt away the winter chill.
Help us now to make a new start,
Help us now to know your will.
Washed in waters of forgiveness,
Cleansed in water of new birth,
Lead us to the cross of Jesus,
Bringing life to all the earth.
In the darkness that surrounds us
We have lost you from our sight.
Even though your love has found us,
We embrace the powers of night.
Scatter now our deepest darkness.
Guide our hearts into the light.
Join us to the cross of Jesus,
Help us set our living right.
Call us forth to walk in justice.
Rescue us from sin and grave.
Through the power of your Spirit,
Breathe in us the breath that saves.
Strengthen us in our communion,
One in Word and cup and bread.
Here within the cross of Jesus,
All who hunger will be fed.
Recessional Hymn - The Glory of These Forty Days
The glory of these forty days
We celebrate with songs of praise;
For Christ, through Whom all things were made,
Himself has fasted and has prayed.
Alone and fasting Moses saw
The loving God Who gave the law;
And to Elijah, fasting, came
The steeds and chariots of flame.
So Daniel trained his mystic sight,
Delivered from the lions’ might;
And John, the Bridegroom’s friend, became
The herald of Messiah’s Name.
Then grant, O God, that we may, too,
Return in fast and prayer to you.;
Our spirits strengthen with Your grace,
And give us joy to see Your face.
