LITURGY FOR THE FIRST COMMUNION

December 12, 2018 @ 8:00 a.m.

(The First Communicants and their parents enter the Church in solemn
procession. Music is played as they enter)

INTRODUCTION:

Parent: We, the Fathers and mothers of these children are happy to be here with them as they
receive their first communion. May we experience God’s love in this Eucharistic
celebration. May this love support our life of faith and that of our children.

Teacher: Dear children, today when you receive the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ for the first
time, you will be sharing God’s own life in a new and very important way. With this
new experience, we hope that you will come to know how good God is and how
much He wants to be with you for He loves you.

Child: Jesus really loves us. How happy we are today. To join us in our celebration, we have
Rev. Fr. Marchito Oriño . With joy in our hearts, let us sing a song of praise
& thanksgiving.

ENTRANCE SONG: HERE WE ARE

Here we are, all together as we sing our song joyfully.

Here we are, joined together, as we pray we always be.

Join we now as friends, and celebrate the

Brotherhood we share, all as one.
Keep the fire burning, kindle it with care,
And we'll all join in and sing.
Here we are, all together as we sing our song joyfully.
Here we are, joined together, as we pray we always be.

Here we are, all together as we sing our song joyfully.

Here we are, joined together, as we pray we always be.

Priest: We begin our celebration of the Eucharist. In the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

All: Amen.

Priest: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of
the Holy Spirit be with you all.
All: And with your Spirit.
PENITENTIAL RITE:

Priest: Coming together as God’s family with confidence, let us ask

the Father’s forgiveness for He is full of gentleness and compassion .
I confess to Almighty God….

All: And to you my brothers and sisters that I have greatly sinned in my thoughts
and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, through
my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. Therefore I ask
blessed Mary ever-Virgin, and all the Angels and Saints and you, my brothers
and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.

Priest: May almighty God, have mercy on us, forgive us our sins and
bring us to everlasting life.

All: Amen.

Kyrie: LORD HAVE MERCY

(M FRANCISCO)

Soloist: Lord Jesus, You came to reconcile us to one another and to the Father
Lord, have mercy
All: Lord, have mercy

Soloist: Lord Jesus, You heal the wounds of sin and division
Christ, have mercy
All: Christ, have mercy
Soloist: Lord Jesus, You intercede for us with Your Father
Lord, have mer–cy
All: Lord, have mer–cy

Priest: Let us glorify the Father

GLORY BE TO THE FATHER

Ref.: Glory be to the Father, Glory be to the Son.

Glory be to the Spirit, all Glory to our God.

We praise you, we bless you, we give you thanks.

We praise you for your glory. We praise you, we bless you, we worship you.
O Lord our God…. (Glory be…)
 Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of God
You are one with the Father,
Receive our prayer. (Glory be….)

You alone are the Holy One,

You alone are the Lord,
With the Holy Spirit, in the Glory of God. (Glory be…)

Priest: Let us pray,

Father, we hunger and thirst for food and drink. You give us bread to strengthen us
and wine to bring us joy. We hunger and thirst for something more, something to fill
our hearts and spirit. You give us Jesus as the Bread of Life and the cup of our
salvation, to be our nourishment and source of happiness. Open our hearts to Him.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.

All: Amen.

COMMENTATOR: Please be seated for the Liturgy of the Word.

LITURGY OF THE WORD

First Reading: A reading from the book of Revelation.

God's temple in heaven was opened,

and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple.

A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun,
with the moon under her feet,
and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.
Then another sign appeared in the sky;
it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns,
and on its heads were seven diadems.
Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky
and hurled them down to the earth.
Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth,
to devour her child when she gave birth.
She gave birth to a son, a male child,
destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod.
Her child was caught up to God and his throne.
The woman herself fled into the desert
where she had a place prepared by God.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:

"Now have salvation and power come,
and the Kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed."

All: Thanks be to God.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM:

How lovely is your dwelling place,

O Lord mighty God, Lord of all.

Even the lowly sparrow finds a home for her brood

And the swallow a nest for herself
Where she may lay here young
In your altars my king and my God

How lovely is your dwelling place,

O Lord mighty God, Lord of all

Blessed are they whose dwelling

Is Your own Lord of peace
Blest are they refreshed by springs and by rain
When dryness daunts and scathes
Behold my shield My king and my God!

How lovely is your dwelling place,

O Lord mighty God, Lord of all

I would forsake a thousand

Other days anywhere
If I could spend one day in Your Courts
belong to you alone
My strength are You alone
My glory, my king and my God!

COMMENTATOR: Please stand to acclaim the Gospel.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION:

Something which is known

Something which is known to have been from the beginning this we have heard and seen
with our own eyes.
Something we have touched and have carefully watched the Word who is life, this we share
with you.
REFRAIN:
Al-lelu-ia, Al-lelu-ia, Al-lelu-ia, Al-lelu-ia,

Priest: The Lord be with you.

All: And with your Spirit.

Priest: A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke.

The angel Gabriel was sent from God

to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin's name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
"Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end."
But Mary said to the angel,
"How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?"
And the angel said to her in reply,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God."
Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word."
Then the angel departed from her.

The gospel of the Lord.

All: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

COMMENTATOR: Please be seated and listen to the Homily.

HOMILY

COMMENTATOR: Please stand.

RENEWAL OF BAPTISMAL PROMISES:

Commentator: After baptism, the Christian will finally be admitted into the Eucharistic
Meal. We can therefore say that the holy Mass is the completion of this
two sacraments. To show this clearly, we the first communicants will
now renew our baptismal promises.

Priest: Dear children you are now going to renew your baptismal promises. On the day of
your baptism, the priest ask you these questions. You were then too small to answer
yourselves. Instead your Godparents answered for you. Today, Mother church will
ask you the same questions. And this time you will make the promises yourselves.
With your whole hearts and your whole minds be then ready to answer.

Priest: Do you reject Sin?

Communicants: I do.

Priest: Do you reject Evil?

Communicants: I do.

Priest: Do you believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and
earth?

All: I do.
Priest: Do reject Satan and all his works?

Communicants: I do.
 Priests: Do you believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and
earth?

All: I do.

Priest: Do you believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin
Mary, was crucified, died and was buried, rose from the dead, and is now seated at
the right hand of the Father?

All: I do.

Priest: 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 life everlasting.

All: I do.

Priest: May the Lord help you to remain faithful to the baptismal promises you have just
renewed.

(The priest will sprinkle Holy Water to the First Communicants while instrumental music is being played)

PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL:

Priest: Jesus taught us to pray to God His Father and to call Him our Father too.
Jesus makes us happy. Because of Him, we are sure that God will hear our
prayers.

Let our response be: JESUS, NOURISH US WITH YOUR LIFE.

1. A Teacher:
For these boys and girls that they may be the source of joy and happiness of their
father and mother and of all who knows them. Let us pray to the Lord.

2. A Child:
For Father and Mother, for our sisters, teachers, for all those who have done their
best to make this a happy day for us, so that they may go on helping us to love one
another more. Let us pray to pray to the Lord.

3. A Child:
Lord, remember all of us who shall receive Jesus for the first time today.
Help us to remain close to Jesus always. Let us pray to the Lord.

4. A Child:
For all of us here gathered in this celebration, may God make us worthy in all our
intention and honest works, for His greater glory. Let us pray to the Lord.
5. A child:
Lord, remember all the priest all throughout the world, keep them strong and healthy,
especially our celebrant, FR. MARCHITO ORIÑO so that they may do their work well.
Let us pray the Lord.

Priest: Father, hear our prayers, and look with favor upon your children, who for the first time
will come to the Table of the Lord. We asks this through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

COMMENTATOR: Please be seated for the offertory.

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

Prayer For Generosity

Dearest Lord, teach me to be generous

Teach me to serve You as I should
To give and not to count the cost
To fight and not to heed the wounds
To toil and not to seek for rest
To labor and ask not for reward
Save that of knowing that I do Your most holy will

Lord, I offer my life to You

Things in the past

Things in the past
Things yet unseen
Wishes and dreams that are yet to come true
All of my hopes
And all of my planes
My heart and my hands are lifted to You
Lord, I offer my life to You
Everything I've been through
Use it for Your glory
Lord I offer my days to You
Lifting my praise to You
As a pleasing sacrifice

Priest: Pray, brethren, that our sacrifice may be acceptable to God, the Almighty Father.
All: May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of His name,
for our good and the good of all His Church.

PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS

Priest: Father accept these gifts of bread and wine and make for us the Bread of Life and the
cup of salvation. Accept too, our creative work as we open our hearts to Jesus, our
source of strength and joy. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

EUCHARISTIC PRAYER FOR CHILDREN:

Priest: The Lord be with you.

All: And with your spirit.

Priest: Lift up your hearts.

All: We lift them up to the Lord.

Priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

All: It is right and just.

Priest: God, our loving Father, we are glad to give you thanks and
praise because you love us. With Jesus, we sing your praise.

All: (sung) GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST

GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST

Priest: Because you love us, you gave this great and beautiful world.
With Jesus, we sing your praise.

All: (sung) GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST

GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST

Priest: Because you love us, you sent Jesus your Son to bring to you and to
gather us around Him as the children of one family. With
Jesus, we sing your praise.

All: (sung) GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST

 GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST

Priest: For such great love, we thank you with the angels and saints as
they praise you and sing.

Holy Lord is your name

Holy Lord is your name

From the heavens on high
Blessed be the Lord’s name
Sings His glory forever
Holy holy is the Lord
For He dwells in our land…
Oh oh oh oh oh oh……..

Holy Lord is your name

From the heavens on high
Blessed be the Lord’s name
Sings His glory forever
Holy holy is the Lord
For He dwells in our land.

COMMENTATOR: Please kneel.

Priest: God our father, we now ask you to send your Holy Spirit to change these gifts of
bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

The night before he died. Jesus your Son showed us how much you love us. When
he was at supper with his disciples, he took bread, and gave you thanks and praise.
Then he broke the bread, gave it to his friends and said:
Take this, all of you, and eat it: This is my body which will be given up for you.

All: (sung) JESUS HAS GIVEN HIS LIFE FOR US (2x)

Priest: When supper was ended, Jesus took the cup that was filled with wine. He thanked
you, gave it to his friends, and said: Take this, all you, and drink from it: This is the
cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shared for
you and for all so that sins may be forgiven. Do this in memory of me.

All: (sung) JESUS HAS GIVEN HIS LIFE FOR US (2x)

Priest: Le us proclaim the mystery of our faith.

MEMORIAL ACCLAMATION

When we eat this bread and drink this cup we proclaim your death oh Lord until you come again.

Priest: And so, loving Father, we remember that Jesus died and rose again to
save the world. He put himself into our hands to be the sacrifice we
offer you.

All: (sung) WE PRAISE YOU, WE BLESS YOU, WE THANK YOU

Priest: Lord our God, listen to our prayer. Send the Holy Spirit to all of us who share in this
meal. May this Spirit brings us close together in the family of the Church, with
Francis, our pope, Jose , our bishop, all other bishops, and all who serve your people.

All: (sung) WE PRAISE YOU, WE BLESS YOU, WE THANK YOU

Priest: Remember, Father, our families and friends, and all those who do not
love as we should. Remember those who have died. Bring them home
to you to be with you forever.

All: (sung) WE PRAISE YOU, WE BLESS YOU, WE THANK YOU

Priest: Gather us all together into your kingdom. There we shall be happy forever
with the Virgin Mary, Mother of God and our mother.
There all the friends of Jesus the Lord will sing a song of joy.

All: (sung) WE PRAISE YOU, WE BLESS YOU, WE THANK YOU

Priest: Through Him, with Him, and in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory
and honor is yours, Almighty Father, forever and ever.

All: AMEN

Amen, amen, amen.

Priest: Jesus taught is to call God our Father, for God is a Father who loves us and cares for
us. Let us join together and sing with eagerness the prayer which Jesus taught us.

All: OUR FATHER (sung)

Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be 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, deliver
us, from evil. Amen.

Priest: Deliver us Lord from all evil, and grant us peace in our day. In your mercy keep us
free from sin and protect us from all anxiety as we wait in joyful hope for the coming
of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

All: FOR THE KINGDOM, THE POWER AND THE GLORY ARE YOURS
NOW AND FOREVER (sung)

SIGN OF PEACE:

Priest: Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your apostles: I leave you peace, my peace I give you.
Look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church, and grant us the peace and
unity of your kingdom where you live forever and ever.

All: Amen.

Priest: The peace of the Lord be with you always.

All: And with your Spirit.

Priest: The Church invites us to show the peace and the love we should share with one
another before receiving Jesus in Holy Communion. I invite you all communicants to
greet your parents with a kiss of peace.

LAMB OF GOD

Lamb of God you take away the sins of the world have mercy, have mercy on us…

Lamb of God you take away the sins of the world have mercy, have mercy on us…

Lamb of God you take away the sins of the world grand us peace, grand us peace.

Commentator: Please Kneel

Priest: This is Jesus Christ, our friend and brother. He wants to come into your hearts and
live in us forever. He brings with Him happiness that has no end. Happy are we to
receive Jesus in our hearts.

All: Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word
and my soul shall be healed.

CHILDREN PRAYER BEFORE COMMUNION:

Take my body Jesus

Eyes, ears and tongue
Never let them Jesus
Have to do me wrong
Take my heart and feel it
Full of love for you
All I have for you
Give yourself to me.

COMMUNION SONGS:

Anima Christi
Soul of Christ
Sanctify me
Body of Christ save me
Water from the side of Christ
Wash me, Passion of Christ
Give me strength

Chorus:
Hear me Jesus
Hide me in thy wounds
That I may never leave thy side
From all the evil that surrounds me
Defend me and when the call of death arrives
Bid me come to thee
That I may praise thee
With thy saints forever

CHRISTIFY

I. Christify the gifts we bring to You,

Bounty of the earth receive anew.
Take and bless the works of our hands
Christify these gifts at Your command.

II. Sun and moon and earth and wind and rain:
All the word’s contained in every grain.
All the toil and dreams of humankind,
All we are we bring as bread and wine.

III. Turn the read and wine, our hearts implore,

To the living presence of the Lord.
Blessed and broken, shared with all in need;
All the hungers, sacred bread will feed.

IV. With this bread and wine you Christify,

Now our deepest thirst You satisfy,
We who by this bread you sanctify,
Draw the world for You to Christify.

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

All: Jesus, you make us happy by coming to us in so many ways. Thank you for being with
us today in the form of bread and wine which we share with our family and friends.
Help us to know and love you more, each time you come to us in Holy Communion.

Commentator: Please stand.

Priest: Let us pray,

God heavenly Father, you share with us your life and your love through your Son,
Jesus, the Bread of Life. May we often receive Him in Holy Communion. We ask this
through Jesus, whose Spirit lives in our hearts, forever and ever.

All: Amen.
DISTRIBUTION OF CERTIFICATES

Commentator: Please be seated for the distribution of certificates.

CONCLUDING RITE:

Commentator: Please stand.

Priest: The Lord be with you.

All: And with your Spirit.

FINAL BLESSING:

Priest: Bow your heads and pray for God’s blessing. May the Lord bless you and keep you.

All: Amen.

Priest: May His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.

All: Amen.

Priest: May Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

All: Amen.

Priest: Bring God’s love to your homes, celebrate your happiness this day with your family,
relatives and friends. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

FINAL SONG: I WILL SING FOREVER

1. I will forever of your love, O Lord. I will celebrate the wonder of your name.
For the Word that you speak is a song of forgiveness, and a song of gentle mercy
and peace.

II. Let us wake at the morning and be filled with your love and sing songs of praise all
our days. For your love is as high as the heavens above us and your faithfulness
as certain as the dawn.

I will forever of Your love, O Lord. I will celebrate the wonder of your name. For the
 Word that You speak is a song of forgiveness, and a song of gentle mercy and of peace.

And I will sing forever of Your love, O Lord!

Yes I will sing forever of your love, O Lord.

- vvv -

THE FIRST COMMUNICANTS

GRADE 3 – CHASTITY

Celebrant: Fr. Marchito Oriňo

Commentator:
Introduction:

First Reading:
Responsorial Psalm:

Prayers of the Faithful:

Offerors: All Communicants

Prayer Before Communion:
Prayer After Communion:
Collectors: Selected Liturgical Members
 First Holy
Communion

“ I am the bread of life,

He who comes to me shall not
Hunger, and he who believes in
shall never thirst.”.
John 6:35
 St. James the Greater
Cathedral
Libmanan,
Camarines Sur
December 12, 2013
8:00 a.m.