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January 30, 2000
1. The solemn and community celebration of the Vespers for Sunday, January 30, 2000 is proposed as the first encounter in preparation for the Jubilee of the Consecrated Life.
2. Where possible, it is advisable that the community celebration, with the participation of both consecrated persons and the faithful, be held in the Cathedral or an important Sanctuary.
3. The celebration of the Sung Vespers will follow the normal rubrics. To add solemnity to the communal choral prayer, some elements are proposed that can be used "ad libitum", following indications that are included in the "Principles and Rules of the Liturgy of the Hours".
4. After the celebration of Vespers, it might be appropriate to have a moment of communal "agape", thus encouraging acquaintance and encounter between the various participants so that they can share the grace and the joy of vocation and consecration within the Church.
After the processional entrance, which should be accompanied by the organ, the person who presides at the Vespers, intones the initial verse:
O God, come to my assistance...
The President greets those present with these or similar words:
May God, who is rich in mercy, be blessed. He has done great things for us and for the whole church.
In everything we thank God the Father who, through Christ, has given everything to us.
Over us, his sons and daughters, he has poured the richness of his grace, He has made us participants in his project of love, witnesses of his love for all mankind, the epiphany of the love of the Trinity who desires to be in communion with all people. "The consecrated life reflects the splendour of this love because, by its fidelity to the mystery of the Cross, it confesses that it believes and lives by the love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit" (VC, 24). God, freeing us from the power of darkness, has transferred us into the reign of the Son of his love, the reign of light.
After having heard in this Sunday's Gospel, the story of the vocation of the disciples (Mk 1:14-20) we are now reunited, at the end of this day of Our Lord, to thank the Father through Christ in the Holy Spirit, with the Vespers hymn, for the gifts of vocation and consecration. We do this in communion with all the Church that in this hour is glorifying the Father, in Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.
II. Psalmody
The psalms and the canticle of the III Sunday of the Psalter are sung. Before the antiphon of each psalm and of the canticle it is possible to give a brief admonition. Following each psalm and canticle with its antiphon, all rise and the celebrant proclaims the psalm prayer.
These examples are proposed:
Admonition:
The Risen Christ who is seated in heaven at the right hand of the Father, is the Priest and King forever. He has called the Church to follow his footsteps and to glorify the Father with our lives.
Psalm 109:1-5,7: The Messiah King is priest
Psalm Collect
Let us pray: Admonition:
The Church, the people of God, gives continuous thanks to our Lord for his gifts. Gifts of beauty, of grace and of holiness. The consecrated life is also a gift from God for His people, through which He continually renews his alliance of fidelity and love with the various charisms.
Psalm 110: Great are the works of the Lord
Psalm Collect
Let us pray: Admonition:
The pilgrim Church on earth unites itself with the heavenly Church singing together the new canticle of Alleluia. In the Holy Spirit it praises the Father for the work of redemption in Christ, the Lamb without stain, who calls the Church, his bride, to the eternal joy of his Kingdom.
Canticle Rev. 19:1-7: The Marriage of the Lamb
Collect after the Canticle
Let us pray:
III. Brief Reading, Homily, Responsorial Psalm
The brief reading of the Day (1 Pt 1:3-5) may be elongated so as to read 1 Pt 3-7,13-23.
After the reading the President of the Assembly or another priest may deliver a brief homily. This may be inspired by what has just been read. All or part of the proposed text, Vocation-Consecration, may also be read. (App. I.A).
After the homily and a short silence, the brief response of the Vespers or another hymn adapted to the Word that has just been heard, may be sung.
IV. The Magnificat, Intercessions
The solemn Magnificat is now sung with the proper antiphon of Sunday. During the singing of the Magnificat the altar and the assembly are incensed.
The day's intercessions follow. Before the last intercession for the dead it is possible to add some prayers of thanks and intercession for the gift of the consecrated life. These should follow the outline of the other Vespers intentions.
The singing of the Lord's prayer and the collect of the day should come after this.
Before the final benediction, the President addresses this or a similar word of exhortation to those present:
Brothers and sisters, I exhort you in the name of our Lord: through the power of His Spirit be witnesses of his love in the midst of his people. Harmonise your life with the dignity of your vocation. Be in name and in deed servants of our Lord and imitators of the Mother of God. Be whole in faith, firm in hope, fervent in charity. Be prudent and vigilant, hold in the humility of your heart the great treasure that has been entrusted to you.
Nourish your life with the body of Christ, fortifying it with fasting and penance, nurturing it with meditation on the Word, with assiduous prayer and with works of mercy. Occupy yourselves with the things of our Lord, hide your life with Christ in God, have in your heart constant intercession for the propagation of the faith and the unity of Christians.
Remember those who, forgetting the love of the Father, have gone away from Him, that they may be saved by his mercy. Remember that you are at the service of the Church and the brethren, love everyone, particularly the poor, succour them according to your strength; care for the infirm, teach the ignorant, give to all the charity of the truth, protect the children, support the youths, help the old, console the afflicted, let your light shine before men.
Do the will of God as and with Jesus his Son, co-operating with love in the advent of his Kingdom into the world. Christ shall be your joy and crown upon the earth, until he conducts you to the eternal wedding where, singing the new song, you will follow the Lamb wherever he goes.
The celebrant blesses the assembly with the solemn blessing that is found in the Roman Missal I (Num 6:24-26):
The Lord bless you and keep you. Glorify God with your life and go in peace. A hymn to Mary may be sung as the final moment of the prayer. |
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