12 April 2020

Celebrating Easter – Family Home Liturgy

Click here to download a PDF (check Downloads folder)

Mother or other family member lights candle and says:

CHRIST IS THE LIGHT THAT HAS CONQUERED DEATH.

[All respond: ALLELUIA! ALLELUIA!]

LET US REJOICE AND BE GLAD!

[All respond:  ALLELUIA! ALLELUIA!]

-The leader (Ldr.) continues:

WE PRAY IN THE NAME OF  +THE FATHER,

AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

All:   Amen!

Ldr:  Let us pray:

God of Glory,

in raising Christ from the dead and raising us with Christ,

you have fashioned for yourself a new people,

washed in the waters of baptism,

sealed with the gift of the Spirit,

and invited to the Banquet of the Lamb! 

May we rejoice in the power of the Resurrection

and bear witness to Christ’s victory over death in all we do. 

We pray in the name of Jesus,

who died on the Cross and rose victorious from the grave

and who is Lord for ever and ever.    [All: Amen! Alleluia!]

First reader:

A reading from the Letter to the Romans.

Brothers and sisters:
Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death?
We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,
so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father,
we too might live in newness of life.

The word of the Lord.    [all: Thanks be to God.]

Second reader:

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew.   (28:1-10)

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning,
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.
And behold, there was a great earthquake;
for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven,
approached, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it.
His appearance was like lightning
and his clothing was white as snow.
The guards were shaken with fear of him
and became like dead men.
Then the angel said to the women in reply,
“Do not be afraid!
I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified.
He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said.
Come and see the place where he lay.
Then go quickly and tell his disciples,
‘He has been raised from the dead,
and he is going before you to Galilee;
there you will see him.’
Behold, I have told you.”
Then they went away quickly from the tomb,
fearful yet overjoyed,
and ran to announce this to his disciples.
And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them.
They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage.
Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid.
Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee,
and there they will see me.”

The Gospel of the Lord.  [all: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!]

(Reflection:   -Share baptism stories/show baptism pictures.

                  -What do you think was going through Mary Magdalene’s mind?

                  -We celebrate the promises Jesus made to us and are called to be people of hope. 

How are you hopeful?  How do you need to be more hopeful?  )

Leader:

On this Easter Day let us renew our baptismal promises with hope and joy with the response, “I DO!”

• Do you believe in God, the Father almighty,

Creator of heaven and earth? 

• Do you believe in Jesus Christ,

his only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit

and born of the Virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried;

he descended into hell;

on the third day he rose again from the dead;

he ascended into heaven,

and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty?

• Do you believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic Church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body

and the life everlasting?

This is our faith, the faith of the Church, which we are proud to profess through Christ our Lord.  Amen. 

Prayer leader:

We offer our Easter prayers with hope and joy

with the response, “Lord, hear our prayer.”

We pray for the Church, God’s People throughout the world,

may our hope in Christ be strong, especially in times of uncertainty…

we pray:

For our world:

may all forms of darkness, war, oppression and injustice cease… 

we pray:

In the midst of so much anxiety due to the coronavirus,

give us all hope and strength…

we pray:

May your Spirit be with our government leaders

and all members of the medical and scientific community

so that they be prudent, safe and wise…

we pray:

Bless all women and men

who serve our society with dedication during this difficult time:

first-responders, store clerks, janitors, delivery people

and all who are giving of themselves for the well-being of others… 

we pray:

Embrace all who are lonely, all who are ill, and all who feel hopeless…

we pray:

May all who have died encounter the Risen Lord… we pray:

(anything else to pray for?)

We bind our prayers together with the words that Jesus taught us…

OUR FATHER…

Mother or other family member:

We trust in Mary’s intercession as we rejoice with her and respond “Alleluia!”

Queen of heaven, rejoice!                         “Alleluia!”

The Son whom you were privileged to bear,    “Alleluia!”

Has risen as he said!                                    “Alleluia!”

Pray for us to God,                                        “Alleluia!”

Rejoice and be glad or Virgin Mary,         “Alleluia!”

For the Lord has truly risen.                       “Alleluia!”

Leader:

O God, you give joy to the world

by the resurrection of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Through the prayers of his mother, the Virgin Mary,

bring us to the happiness of eternal life. 

Through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

+ May the Lord bless us with peace and protect us from all harm.  Amen.

(Optional concluding rite: Pass a small bowl of (holy) water around for making the sign of the Cross.)