| ENTRANCE ANTIPHON |
| When he calls to me, I will answer; I will rescue him and give him honour. Long life and contentment will be his (Ps 91:15-16). |
| PENITENTIAL RITE |
We can turn away from God in a thousand ways but there is only one way we can return to Him, and that is by repenting of our sins and believing in His forgiving and healing love. We have to recognize our own sinfulness and our need for God’s forgiveness. Each of us is involved in a constant struggle against temptation. We see from the Gospel of today that Jesus too was tempted. With confidence let us ask Jesus for help to overcome our temptations. Now, let us ask the Lord to touch our hearts and give us the true spirit of repentance so that we may worthily partake of the Eucharist.
(Pause)
I confess... |
| OPENING PRAYER |
Lord our God, you formed man from the clay of the earth and breathed into him the spirit of life, but he turned from your face and sinned.
In this time of repentance we call out for your mercy. Bring us back to you and to the life your Son won for us by his death on the cross, for he lives and reigns for ever and ever. |
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| FIRST READING |
| (After saving Noah and his family from the flood, God establishes a covenant with him. The rainbow will be a constant reminder of the covenant.) |
| A reading from the Book of Genesis (9:8-15) |
God said to Noah and to his sons with him, “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”
And God said. “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.” |
| This is the Word of the Lord |
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