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NOVENA AND HOLY HOUR FOR THE SAFETY OF THE HOLY FATHER

EXPOSITION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT

OPENING HYMN O Salutaris Hostia,

Quae caeli pandis ostium: Bella premunt hostilia, Da robur fer auxilium.

Uni trinoque Domino

Sit sempiterna gloria Qui vitam sine termino, Nobis donet in patria

The presider places the host in the monstrance. After placing the incense in the censer, the presider kneels and incenses the holy Eucharist.

INVITATION TO PRAISE

Presider: Let us bless our heavenly Father, source of every good gift.

All: Glory to You, forever.

Presider: Let us bless Christ, the Eternal High Priest. All: Glory to You, forever.

Presider: Let us bless the Holy Spirit, Lord and Giver of life. All: Glory to You, forever. FOR THE INTENTIONS OF THE HOLY FATHER Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…

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INTRODUCTION TO THE CELEBRATION The presider briefly introduces the celebration in these or similar words.

Presider: As we kneel before the Lord, we lift up to him our intentions and in particular the safe travel and security of our Holy Father. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother, Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage and Saint Michael the Archangel, we pray that the Holy Father be defended from all harm. May he be protected from all threats so that he may be able to send his message of mercy and compassion to all of us.

A moment of silent adoration follows. The congregation sits as the psalm is prayed

PRAYING OF THE PSALM

ANTIPHON: Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart.

PSALM 37

Do not fret because of evildoers,

Be not envious toward wrongdoers. For they will wither quickly like the grass

And fade like the green herb.

Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.

Delight yourself in the LORD;

And He will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.

He will bring forth your righteousness as the light

And your judgment as the noonday.

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Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him;

Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.

Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.

For evildoers will be cut off,

But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.

Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more;

And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there.

But the humble will inherit the land

And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.

The wicked plots against the righteous And gnashes at him with his teeth.

The Lord laughs at him,

For He sees his day is coming.

The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow To cast down the afflicted and the needy, To slay those who are upright in conduct.

Their sword will enter their own heart,

And their bows will be broken.

Better is the little of the righteous Than the abundance of many wicked.

For the arms of the wicked will be broken,

But the LORD sustains the righteous.

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The LORD knows the days of the blameless, And their inheritance will be forever.

They will not be ashamed in the time of evil,

And in the days of famine they will have abundance.

But the wicked will perish; And the enemies of the LORD will be like the glory of the

pastures, They vanish—like smoke they vanish away.

The wicked borrows and does not pay back,

But the righteous is gracious and gives.

For those blessed by Him will inherit the land, But those cursed by Him will be cut off.

The steps of a man are established by the LORD,

And He delights in his way.

When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand.

I have been young and now I am old,

Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken Or his descendants begging bread.

All day long he is gracious and lends, And his descendants are a blessing.

Depart from evil and do good,

So you will abide forever.

For the LORD loves justice And does not forsake His godly ones;

They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked will be cut off.

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The righteous will inherit the land And dwell in it forever.

The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,

And his tongue speaks justice.

The law of his God is in his heart; His steps do not slip.

The wicked spies upon the righteous

And seeks to kill him.

The LORD will not leave him in his hand Or let him be condemned when he is judged.

Wait for the LORD and keep His way,

And He will exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

I have seen a wicked, violent man

Spreading himself like a luxuriant tree in its native soil.

Then he passed away, and lo, he was no more; I sought for him, but he could not be found.

Mark the blameless man, and behold the upright;

For the man of peace will have a posterity.

But transgressors will be altogether destroyed; The posterity of the wicked will be cut off.

But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;

He is their strength in time of trouble.

The LORD helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them,

Because they take refuge in Him.

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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

ANTIPHON: Delight yourself in the LORD; and He

will give you the desires of your heart. A period of silent reflection is observed

PROCLAMATION OF THE GOSPEL (15:1-8)

V. The Lord be with you. R. And with your spirit.

V. ! A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John R. Glory to you, O Lord.

Jesus said to his disciples : “I am the true vine and my Father is the vinegrower. He prunes away every barren branch, but the fruitful ones he trims clean to increase their yield. You are clean already, thanks to the word I have spoken to you. Live on in me, as do in you. No more than a branch can hear fruit of itself apart from the vine, can you bear fruit apart from me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who lives in me and I in him, will produce abundantly, for apart from me you can do nothing. A man who dies not to live in me is like a withered, rejected branch, picked up to be thrown in the fire and burnt.

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If you live in me, and my words stay part of you, you may ask what you will and it will be done for you. My Father has been glorified in your bearing much fruit and becoming my disciples. “ The Gospel of the Lord.

R. Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

HOMILY/SILENT REFLECTION/ SUGGESTED REFLECTION

FROM A MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS

FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE WORLD DAY OF PEACE

Globalizing fraternity, not slavery or indifference 6. In her “proclamation of the truth of Christ’s love in society”,[9] the Church constantly engages in charitable activities inspired by the truth of the human person. She is charged with showing to all the path to conversion, which enables us to change the way we see our neighbours, to recognize in every other person a brother or sister in our human family, and to acknowledge his or her intrinsic dignity in truth and freedom. This can be clearly seen from the story of Josephine Bakhita, the saint originally from the Darfur region in Sudan who was kidnapped by slave-traffickers and sold to brutal masters when she was nine years old. Subsequently – as a result of painful experiences – she became a “free daughter of God” thanks to her faith, lived in religious consecration and in service to others, especially the most lowly and helpless. This saint, who lived at the turn of the twentieth century, is even today an exemplary witness of hope[10] for the many victims of slavery; she can support the efforts of all those committed to fighting against this “open

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wound on the body of contemporary society, a scourge upon the body of Christ”. [11] In the light of all this, I invite everyone, in accordance with his or her specific role and responsibilities, to practice acts of fraternity towards those kept in a state of enslavement. Let us ask ourselves, as individuals and as communities, whether we feel challenged when, in our daily lives, we meet or deal with persons who could be victims of human trafficking, or when we are tempted to select items which may well have been produced by exploiting others. Some of us, out of indifference, or financial reasons, or because we are caught up in our daily concerns, close our eyes to this. Others, however, decide to do something about it, to join civic associations or to practice small, everyday gestures – which have so much merit! – such as offering a kind word, a greeting or a smile. These cost us nothing but they can offer hope, open doors, and change the life of another person who lives clandestinely; they can also change our own lives with respect to this reality. We ought to recognize that we are facing a global phenomenon which exceeds the competence of any one community or country. In order to eliminate it, we need a mobilization comparable in size to that of the phenomenon itself. For this reason I urgently appeal to all men and women of good will, and all those near or far, including the highest levels of civil institutions, who witness the scourge of contemporary slavery, not to become accomplices to this evil, not to turn away from the sufferings of our brothers and sisters, our fellow human beings, who are deprived of their freedom and dignity. Instead, may we have the courage to touch the suffering flesh of Christ,[12] revealed in the faces of those countless persons whom he calls “the least of these my brethren” (Mt 25:40, 45). We know that God will ask each of us: What did you do for your brother? (cf. Gen 4:9-10). The globalization of indifference, which today burdens the lives of so many of our brothers and sisters, requires all of us to forge a new worldwide solidarity and fraternity capable of giving them new hope and helping them to advance with courage amid the problems of our time and the new horizons which they disclose and which God places in our hands.

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A period of silent reflection is observed after the homily or suggested reflection.

INTERCESSIONS Presider: As one family, we bring our petitions before our

heavenly Father, especially as we prepare and await for the visit of our Holy Father, Pope Francis

Guide and protect your Church, Lord For Pope Francis, that he may be protected from all

harm and danger, we pray. R/ For government leaders, that they may strive in the

building up of justice and peace, we pray. R/ For all the people working for the Papal Visit, may

they be given the strength and perseverance in carying out their task, we pray. R/

For all of us gathered here, that we may truly respond

to the challenge of charity so that we may also be agents of mercy and compassion, we pray. R/

For all the people who have lost their loved ones, may

they continue to share the love that they have experience from the gift of life of their love ones, we pray. R/

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THE LORD’S PRAYER Presider: At the Savior’s command and formed by divine

teaching, we dare to say :

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

CONCLUDING PRAYER Presider: O God, who chose your servant FRANCIS in

succession to the Apostle Peter as shepherd of the whole flock, look favorably on the supplications of your people and grant that, as Vicar of Christ on earth, he may confirm his brethren and that the whole Church may be in communion with him in the bond of unity, love and peace, so that in you, the shepherd of souls, all may know the truth and attain life eternal. Through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

People: Amen

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PRAYER FOR THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF THE HOLY FATHER

Father of all goodness, you who have willed for the welfare and unity of all your children, you who make all things holy, we come to you dear Father filled with hope and confidence entrusting the safety and security of the holy father as he travels to and from the Philippines. As he brings to us your message of mercy and compassion, may we too lavish in this great gift that you have bestowed on us. May we also share this blessing as we go out in our daily lives. May these blessings lead us to the peace that we yearn for. O loving Father, may each of us truly look after one another with a love that readily forgives and unites us all back to you. Awaken your Church anew to be vigilant in ensuring the safety of the Holy Father and safeguarding the sacred truths he upholds. May we all become saints and heroes of our time passing on the mission of proclaiming the gospel your Son made known. Through the intercession of the Blessed Mother, Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, and of St. Michael the archangel, may we be protected from the snares of the evil one and may only your peace reign in our hearts. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen

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BENEDICTION

Tantum ergo Sacramentum Veneremur cernui: et antiquum documentum

novo cedat ritui: Praestet fides supplementum Sensuum defectui Genitori, Genitoque Laus et jubilation salus, honor, virtus quoque sit et benedictio: procedenti ad utroque comparsit laudatio.

Amen.

The presider incenses the Blessed Sacrament. He then rises and sings or says the following prayers.

Presider: Panem de caelo preastitisti eis All: Omne delectamentum in se habentem

Presider: Oremus.

Pause for silent prayer.

Deus, qui nobis sub sacramento mirabilis passionis tuae memoriam reliquisti; tribue quaesumus, ita nos Corporis et Saguinis tui sacra mysteria venerari, ut redemptionis tuae fructum in nobis iugiter sentiamus.

Qui vivis et regnas in saecula saeculorum.

All: Amen. After the prayer, the presider puts on the humeral veil, genuflects, and takes the monstrance. He then makes the sign of the cross with it over the people in silence.

After the benediction, the prayer of praise is said or sung by the presider together with the assembly.

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THE DIVINE PRAISES Blessed be God. Blessed be His Holy Name. Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God

and true man. Blessed be the name of Jesus. Blessed be his most Sacred Heart. Blessed be his most precious blood. Blessed be Jesus in the most holy

sacrament of the altar. Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete. Blessed be the great mother of God, Mary most holy.

Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Conception.

Blessed be St. Joseph her most chaste spouse.

Blessed be God in his angels and in his saints. Amen.

The presider replaces the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle and genuflects while a suitable hymn is being sung. The ministers then depart from the sanctuary.

O Sacrament most holy O Sacrament divine All praise and all thanksgiving Be every moment thine!

Be every moment thine!