This celebration of the Word of God at home is designed for people who are impeded from participating in Palm Sunday ceremonies at their parish, particularly because of the pandemic.
However, this Saturday evening celebration could also constitute a great form of family preparation for Sunday Mass at the parish.
If you plan on participating in the Sunday Mass at your parish, omit the blessing of the palms.
How to carry out the blessing of the palms
Prepare the palms for the blessing ahead of time.
If you have a yard:
The twigs of any tree or shrub may be suitable, as long as they are green and bear leaves. Indeed, the first leaves of spring or evergreen branches symbolize new life triumphing over death. In order of preference, you can choose branches of the following species: palm, olive, citrus, boxwood, yew, other evergreen species, willow, forsythia, any of the prunus genus (plums, peaches, etc.), Japanese cherry.
For those who do not have a yard:
Small springs from a beautiful indoor plant could be used.
Otherwise, with a clear, thick black line, draw on sheets of paper (or on cardboard) a palm branch which, if possible, should be painted green.
If the media is strong enough to stand up afterwards, the palm can be cut out with scissors. Everyone takes their leaf or palm for the Blessing.
At the end of the celebration, a small procession can be organized to put a blessed branch on each crucifix in the house. In the absence of branches, a small piece of the blessed paper or cardboard can be used instead.
Instructions for the Reading of the Passion according to St. Mark:
This Reading is particularly beautiful and engaging. In order to do it justice, you should make an effort to read it relatively slowly, in a strong voice and with good diction.
You should distribute the roles for the reading ahead of time.
The roles are designated throughout the reading with the following letters:
N -Narrator; X – Christ; V – Voice; C-Crowd
If there are only three readers, the Narrator (N) will also read the Crowd (C).
If there are only two readers, the Narrator (N) will also read the Crowd (C), and the Voice (V).
The reader should, with measure, give appropriate intonation to the words according to the dramatic development of the reading.
Ideally, each reader should prepare their part of the reading ahead of time.
General guidelines:
- If you’re alone, it is better to simply read the readings and prayers of this Sunday’s Mass in your missal and/or to follow the Mass on television.
- This celebration requires the presence of at least two people.
- It should take place preferably on Saturday evening after sunset (the vigil of Sunday). However, if you cannot participate in Mass at the parish, you can hold this celebration on Sunday.
- This celebration is particularly suitable for use with family, friends and neighbors. However, in order to respect quarantine measures, you should verify whether it is allowed to invite neighbors or friends. In any event, if you do so, you should ensure that all safety guidelines are strictly followed.
- Set up the needed number of chairs in front of a prayer corner, respecting the distance of two yards between each.
- A simple cross or crucifix must always be visible in the background.
- Light one or more candles, placing them on non-flammable stands (such as candlesticks or small porcelain plates). Don’t forget to blow them out at the end of the celebration.
- Flowers are not used to adorn the prayer corner. It will give us all the more joy to put them back on the Vigil of Easter.
VIGIL OF PALM SUNDAY
OF THE PASSION OF THE LORD
Celebration of the Word
“I am the resurrection and the life. Do you believe this?”
All are seated.
The leader of the celebration reads:
Brothers and sisters,
This [evening] [day], [on this vigil of] [on this] Palm Sunday,
we know that Christ Jesus
is present in our midst
when we gather to pray in his name.
And we believe that when we read the Scriptures in Church,
it is the Word of God himself who speaks to us.
His word is then true nourishment for our lives.
That is why we gather together,
in communion with the whole Church
to listen to this Word that saves.
Pause
Palm Sunday invites us to pass from
anguish to hope, from fear to self-sacrifice.
This, step by step we advance towards the truth of Easter.
In these trying days, we become aware, sorrowfully,
of our limitations and fragility.
However, let there be no doubt:
what Jesus said yesterday to Saint Paul,
He says today to all of us:
“My grace is sufficient for you,
for power is made perfect in weakness.”
Pause
After a moment of silence, all rise and make the Sign of the Cross, saying:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
If you plan on participating in Sunday Mass at your parish tomorrow, omit the Blessing of the Branches included here below between the lines.
BLESSING OF THE PALMS
Take in hand the branches you have prepared (or their substitute), and raise them up, waving them and singing the Sanctus to a familiar melody, in English or Latin.
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus Dóminus Deus Sábaoth.
Pleni sunt caeli et terra glória tua.
Hosánna in excélsis.
Benedíctus qui venit in nómine Dómini.
Hosánna in excélsis.
Still holding the branches, hold them out in front of you. The leader of the prayer, with hands joined, says the prayer of blessing.
Increase the faith of those who place their hope in you, O God, and graciously hear the prayers of those who call on you, that we, who today hold high these branches to hail Christ in his triumph, may bear fruit for you by good works accomplished in him. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Amen
GOSPEL
All stand, and the reader reads the Gospel of the Palms.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Matthew (21:1-11)
When Jesus and the disciples drew near Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find an ass tethered, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them here to me. And if anyone should say anything to you, reply, ‘The master has need of them.’ Then he will send them at once.”
This happened so that what had been spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled:
Say to daughter Zion,
“Behold, your king comes to you,
meek and riding on an ass,
and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.”
The disciples went and did as Jesus had ordered them.
They brought the ass and the colt and laid their cloaks over them, and he sat upon them.
The very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and strewed them on the road. The crowds preceding him and those following kept crying out and saying:
“Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is the he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest.”
And when he entered Jerusalem the whole city was shaken and asked, “Who is this?”
And the crowds replied, “This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee.”
At the end of the Gospel, all acclaim the Lord once again singing the second part of the Sanctus, in English or latin.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest. (Bis)
Benedíctus qui venit in nómine Dómini.
Hosánna in excélsis.(Bis)
All lay down their palms in an appropriate place and then sit down.
The prayer leader speaks, inviting all to reflect.
O Jesus, during this celebration of the Palms,
we have just commemorated your triumphant entry into Jerusalem,
and we have just united the impulse of our hearts and the sound of our voices
to acclaim you, united in one heart and one mind with your Church.
Yes, we want you to triumph, you who come in the name of the Lord,
O Jesus, our brother and our God.
Grant us the grace never to lose sight of the truth of Easter,
the truth you’re going to teach us throughout your Passion.
This Easter truth is this:
Christian triumph always passes through a cross,
and through the gift of his life for love,
until the very end.
Pause
Now, let us prepare ourselves to open our hearts
to the Passion of the Lord, observing a moment of silence.
Still seated, all bow their heads and close their eyes to reflect with greater concentration. All are silent for 5 minutes.
The prayer leader marks the end of the period of silence, then invites the participants to stand, and says:
As the Lord entered the holy city, the children of the Hebrews proclaimed the resurrection of life. With them, we sing:
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus Dóminus Deus Sábaoth.
Pleni sunt caeli et terra glória tua.
Hosánna in excélsis.
Benedíctus qui venit in nómine Dómini.
Hosánna in excélsis.
PRAYER
Almighty ever-living God, who as an example of humility for the human race to follow caused our Savior to take flesh and submit to the Cross, graciously grant that we may heed his lesson of patient suffering and so merit a share in his Resurrection. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen
The reader for the first reading remains standing while the others sit down.
FIRST READING
A reading from the book of the Prophet Isaiah (Is 50:4-7)
The Lord God has given me a well-trained tongue, that I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them. Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear; and I have not rebelled, have not turned back. I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting.
The Lord God is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
If possible, it is preferable for the psalm to be sung. When the celebration is held by a family, the response may be simply said or sung after the reader has read the stanza.
PSALM 22
R/ My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? (Ps 21:2a)
All who see me scoff at me;
they mock me with parted lips, they wag their heads:
“He relied on the Lord; let him deliver him,
let him rescue him, if he loves him.” R/
Indeed, many dogs surround me,
a pack of evildoers closes in upon me;
they have pierced my hands and my feet;
I can count all my bones. R/
They divide my garments among them,
and for my vesture they cast lots.
But you, O Lord, be not far from me;
O my help, hasten to aid me. R/
I will proclaim your name to my brethren;
in the midst of the assembly I will praise you:
“You who fear the Lord, praise him;
all you descendants of Jacob, give glory to him;
revere him, all you descendants of Israel!” R/
SECOND READING
A reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians (Ph 2:6-11)
Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
GOSPEL
Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
Christ became obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name which is above every name.
Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
The reading is done according to the roles determined ahead of time.
The letters designating the various readers are as follows:
N -Narrator; X – Christ; V – Voice; C-Crowd
The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark.
Mark 14:1—15:47
N The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark
N The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were to take place in two days’ time. So the chief priests and the scribes were seeking a way to arrest him by treachery and put him to death. They said,
C “Not during the festival, for fear that there may be a riot among the people.”
N When he was in Bethany reclining at table in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of perfumed oil, costly genuine spikenard. She broke the alabaster jar and poured it on his head. There were some who were indignant.
C “Why has there been this waste of perfumed oil? It could have been sold for more than three hundred days’ wages and the money given to the poor.”
N They were infuriated with her. Jesus said,
X “Let her alone. Why do you make trouble for her? She has done a
good thing for me. The poor you will always have with you,
and whenever you wish you can do good to them, but you will not always have me. She has done what she could. She has anticipated anointing my body for burial. Amen, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed to the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”
N Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went off to the chief priests to hand him over to them. When they heard him they were pleased and promised to pay him money. Then he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.
On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him,
V “Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?”
N He sent two of his disciples and said to them,
X “Go into the city and a man will meet you, carrying a jar of water.
Follow him. Wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ Then he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there.”
N The disciples then went off, entered the city, and found it just as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover.
When it was evening, he came with the Twelve. And as they reclined at table and were eating, Jesus said,
X “Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.”
N They began to be distressed and to say to him, one by one,
V “Surely it is not I?”
N He said to them,
X “One of the Twelve, the one who dips with me into the dish. For
the Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had never been born.”
N While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said,
X “Take it; this is my body.”
N Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and
they all drank from it. He said to them,
X “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many. Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine
until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
N Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Then Jesus said to them,
X “All of you will have your faith shaken, for it is written:
I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be dispersed.
But after I have been raised up, I shall go before you to Galilee.”
N Peter said to him,
V “Even though all should have their faith shaken, mine will not be.”
N Then Jesus said to him,
X “Amen, I say to you, this very night before the cock crows twice you will deny me three times.”
N But he vehemently replied,
V “Even though I should have to die with you, I will not deny you.”
N And they all spoke similarly. Then they came to a place named Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples,
X “Sit here while I pray.”
N He took with him Peter, James, and John, and began to be
troubled and distressed. Then he said to them,
X “My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch.”
N He advanced a little and fell to the ground and prayed that if it were possible the hour might pass by him; he said,
X “Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Take this cup away from me, but not what I will but what you will.”
N When he returned he found them asleep. He said to Peter,
X “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test. The spirit is
willing but the flesh is weak.”
N Withdrawing again, he prayed, saying the same thing. Then he returned once more and found them asleep, for they could not keep their eyes open and did not know what to answer him. He returned a third time and said to them,
X “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough. The hour has come. Behold, the Son of Man is to be handed over to
sinners. Get up, let us go. See, my betrayer is at hand.”
N Then, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived, accompanied by a crowd with swords and clubs who had come from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. His betrayer had arranged a signal with them, saying,
V “The man I shall kiss is the one; arrest him and lead him away securely.”
N He came and immediately went over to him and said,
V “Rabbi.”
N And he kissed him. At this they laid hands on him and arrested him. One of the bystanders drew his sword, struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his ear. Jesus said to them in reply,
X “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs,
to seize me? Day after day I was with you teaching in the temple area, yet you did not arrest me; but that the Scriptures may be fulfilled.”
N And they all left him and fled. Now a young man followed him wearing nothing but a linen cloth about his body. They seized him, but he left the cloth behind and ran off naked.
They led Jesus away to the high priest, and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together. Peter followed him at a distance into the high priest’s courtyard and was seated with the guards, warming himself at the fire. The chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin kept trying to obtain testimony against Jesus
in order to put him to death, but they found none. Many gave false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree. Some took the stand and testified falsely against him, alleging,
C “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands and within three days I will build another not made with hands.’”
N Even so their testimony did not agree. The high priest rose before the assembly and questioned Jesus, saying,
V “Have you no answer? What are these men testifying against you?”
N But he was silent and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him and said to him,
V “Are you the Christ, the son of the Blessed One?”
N Then Jesus answered,
X “I am; and ‘you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.’”
N At that the high priest tore his garments and said,
V “what further need have we of witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?”
N They all condemned him as deserving to die. Some began to spit on him. They blindfolded him and struck him and said to him,
C “Prophesy!”
N And the guards greeted him with blows.
While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the high priest’s maids came along. Seeing Peter warming himself, she looked intently at him and said,
C “You too were with the Nazarene, Jesus.”
N But he denied it saying,
V “I neither know nor understand what you are talking about.”
N So he went out into the outer court. Then the cock crowed. The maid saw him and began again to say to the bystanders,
C “This man is one of them.”
N Once again he denied it. A little later the bystanders said to Peter once more,
C “Surely you are one of them; for you too are a Galilean.”
N He began to curse and to swear,
V “I do not know this man about whom you are talking.”
N And immediately a cock crowed a second time. Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had said to him, “Before the cock crows twice you will deny me three times.” He broke down and wept.
As soon as morning came, the chief priests with the elders and the scribes, that is, the whole Sanhedrin held a council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. Pilate questioned him,
V “Are you the king of the Jews?”
N He said to him in reply,
X“You say so.”
N The chief priests accused him of many things. Again Pilate
questioned him,
V “Have you no answer? See how many things they accuse you of.”
N Jesus gave him no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.
Now on the occasion of the feast he used to release to them one prisoner whom they requested. A man called Barabbas was then in prison along with the rebels who had committed murder in a rebellion. The crowd came forward and began to ask him to do for them as he was accustomed. Pilate answered,
V “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?”
N For he knew that it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed him over. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead.
Pilate again said to them in reply,
V “Then what do you want me to do with the man you call the king of the Jews?”
N They shouted again,
C “Crucify him.”
N Pilate said to them,
V “Why? What evil has he done?”
N They only shouted the louder,
C “Crucify him.”
N So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas to them and, after he had Jesus scourged, handed him over to be crucified.
The soldiers led him away inside the palace, that is, the praetorium, and assembled the whole cohort. They clothed him in purple and, weaving a crown of thorns, placed it on him. They began to salute him with,
C “Hail, King of the Jews!”
N and kept striking his head with a reed and spitting upon him. They knelt before him in homage. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak, dressed him in his own clothes, and led him out to crucify him.
They pressed into service a passerby, Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.
They brought him to the place of Golgotha
— which is translated Place of the Skull. They gave him wine drugged with myrrh, but he did not take it.
Then they crucified him and divided his garments by casting lots for them to see what each should take.
It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. The inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” With him they crucified two revolutionaries, one on his right and one on his left. Those passing by reviled him, shaking their heads and saying,
C “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself by coming down from the cross.”
N Likewise the chief priests, with the scribes, mocked him among themselves and said,
C “He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.”
N Those who were crucified with him also kept abusing him.
At noon darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
X “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”
N which is translated,
X “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
N Some of the bystanders who heard it said,
C “Look, he is calling Elijah.”
N One of them ran, soaked a sponge with wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink saying,
V “Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to take him down.”
N Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last.
Here all kneel and pause for a short time.
N The veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. When the centurion who stood facing him saw how he breathed his last he said,
V “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
N There were also women looking on from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the younger James and of Joses, and Salome. These women had followed him when he was in Galilee and ministered to him. There were also many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.
When it was already evening, since it was the day of preparation, the day before the sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a distinguished member of the council, who was himself awaiting the kingdom of God, came and courageously went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate was amazed that he was already dead. He summoned the centurion and asked him if Jesus had already died. And when he learned of it from the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph. Having bought a linen cloth, he took him down, wrapped him in the linen cloth,
and laid him in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses watched where he was laid.
No acclamation is used at the conclusion of the reading of the Gospel.
All are seated.
The leader repeats slowly, as if it were a deep and far-off echo:
“Truly, this was the Son of God!”
All observe two minutes of silence for personal meditation.
PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL
All remain standing for the universal prayer which has been prepared beforehand. Or, they may use the followingIntercessions,separating the intentions with an intervening moment of silence:
The prayer leader says:
Jesus, King of the ages, enters Jerusalem,
and He walks towards his death; let us implore him:
R/ Forget our sins, and have mercy on us!
Jesus, son of David, your hands are tied
as if you were a thief. R/
Jesus, son of David, you will be thrown
out of town like a prophet. R/
Jesus, son of David, you will be
sacrificed like a lamb. R/
Jesus, Savior, you desired to suffer
for the guilty when you were innocent. R/
Jesus, Savior, you came doing good,
come and heal the suffering in hospitals. R/
Jesus, Savior, you consoled Martha and Mary,
come support those who are in mourning without being able
to accompany their deceased loved ones. R/
Jesus, Son of man and Son of God, bring the dead into the heavenly Jerusalem. R/
Each participant may freely add an intention, to which all respond:
R/ Forget our sins, and have mercy on us!
At the end, the leader introduces to the Lord’s Prayer:
United in the Spirit and in the communion of the Church,
we dare to pray as the Lord Jesus himself
taught us:
All say or sing the Our Father:
Our Father…
Continuing immediately with:
For the kingdom…
Then the leader invites those present to share a sign of peace:
We have just joined our voices
with that of the Lord Jesus to pray to the Father.
We are sons and daughters in the Son.
In the love that unites us with one another,
renewed by the word of God,
we can exchange a gesture of peace,
a sign of the communion
we receive from the Lord.
All then exchange a greeting of peace from a distance: for example, by bowing deeply towards each other in turn; or, as a family, by blowing each other a kiss.
If it is impossible to attend Mass, you can make a spiritual communion according to the optional rite included between the red lines below.
All sit down.
SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
The leader says:
When we can’t receive sacramental communion
for lack of a Mass,
Pope Francis urges us to practice spiritual communion,
also called “communion of desire.”
The Council of Trent reminds us that this
“consists in an ardent desire to feed on the Heavenly Bread,
with a living faith that acts through charity
and that makes us participants in the fruits and graces of the Sacrament.”
The value of our spiritual communion
depends therefore on our faith in the presence of Christ in the Eucharist
as a source of life, love and unity,
and our desire to receive Communion in spite of our inability to do so.
With that in mind, I now invite you to bow your head,
to close your eyes and recollect yourselves.
Silence
Deep in our hearts,
may a burning desire arise within us to unite ourselves with Jesus,
in sacramental communion,
and then to bring His love to life into our lives,
loving others as He loved us.
All remain in silence for 5 minutes for a heart-to-heart conversation with Jesus Christ. A hymn of thanksgiving may be sung.
All stand.
The leader says the closing prayer, in the name of all:
Through the intercession of St. N.
[patron saint of the parish, diocese or country],
and of all the saints of God,
May the God of perseverance and courage
grant us to manifest throughout our lives
the spirit of sacrifice, compassion and love
of Christ Jesus.
Thus, in the communion of the Holy Spirit,
we will give glory to God,
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
for ever and ever!
Amen.
FINAL BLESSING
All together facing the cross, each with their hands joined in prayer, invoke the Lord’s Blessing:
May the Lord let his face shine upon us
and come and save us. Amen.
All make the Sign of the Cross.
Then parents may trace the Sign of the Cross on their children’s foreheads.
To conclude the celebration, one of the following Marian antiphons may be sung, or some other familiar hymn to the Virgin Mary.
Ave, Regina cælorum
Ave, Domina Angelorum,
Salve radix, salve, porta, Ex qua mundo lux est orta.
Gaude, Vírgo gloriosa, Super omnes speciosa;
Vale, o valde decora
Et pro nobis Christum exora.
Hail, Queen of Heaven!
Hail, sovereign of the angels!
Hail, root of Jesse!
Hail, door through which the Light of the world arose.
Rejoice, glorious Virgin, who prevails over all in beauty!
Hail, O most beautiful one,
and pray to Christ for us.
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To continue to sanctify this Sunday, it would be good to reconnect with the venerable tradition of Sunday vespers by celebrating, towards the end of the afternoon, the office of the Liturgy of the Hours that you will find here, or we can take this Sunday’s Evening Prayer, which can be found here.
Read more:
Meditate on Christ’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, with a 15th century Icon
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For Holy Week, we will offer you increasingly rich formulas, to help you continue to celebrate, despite everything, the special seasons of our Christian life, for the glory of God and the salvation of the world.
You can also find other resources for free on the Magnificat website
And today we celebrate...