SMC ENGLISH MASS - 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A (27 Sep 2026)
SMC English Mass - 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A (27 Sep 2026)
Prayer for the 80th Anniversary of the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong
Messengers of Hope
O Lord, You are the source of all blessings and you guide the course of human history by your Providence.
With gratitude we thank you for the establishment of our Diocese eighty years ago.
In the footsteps of our predecessors, we have steadfastly kept the heritage of our Faith over the years and so have been able
to experience your unfailing help in the face of challenges;
to regain strength in our weakness;
to restore hope in our discouragement;
to look for your direction when we have lost our way.
As your children, may we always entrust ourselves to you in humility. May we always respond to your calling for us to carry on our mission to spread the Gospel and bear witness to our faith in Hong Kong, sowing the seeds of love and hope while living in joy and peace.
We ask this in the name of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen
PROCESSIONAL HYMN
HUMBLE THYSELF IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD #126 P.41
[Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord
Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord
And He shall lift you up
Higher and higher and He shall lift you up] ×3
Up into heaven
And He shall lift you up
And He shall lift you up
(Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord)
And He shall lift you up
(Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord)
Sign of the cross
Priest ✠ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen.
Greeting
P✠: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
All: And with your spirit.
Penitential Act
P✠: Brethren (brothers and sisters), let us acknowledge our sins, and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.
All: I confess to almighty God 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, (striking their breast) through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.
P✠: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
All: Amen.
Kyrie Eleison
P✠: You were sent to heal the contrite of heart: Lord, have mercy.
All: Lord, have mercy.
P✠: You came to call sinners: Christ, have mercy.
All: Christ, have mercy.
P✠: You are seated at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us: Lord, have mercy.
All: Lord, have mercy.
P✠: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
All: Amen.
Gloria
Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to people of good will.
We praise You. We bless You. We adore you. We glorify You. We give You thanks for Your great glory. Lord God, heavenly King, O God almighty Father.
Lord Jesus Christ, Only-begotten Son. Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father: you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. You take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer. You are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.
For you alone are the Holy One. You alone are the Lord. You alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Collect
Let us pray (pause)
O God, who manifest your almighty power above all by pardoning and showing mercy, bestow, we pray, your grace abundantly upon us and make those hastening to attain your promises heirs to the treasures of heaven.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
All: Amen.
1st Reading – Ezekiel 18:25-28
Thus says the LORD: You say, "The LORD's way is not fair!" Hear now, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair? When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die. But if he turns from the wickedness he has committed, and does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life; since he has turned away from all the sins that he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. – The Word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R. Remember your mercies, O Lord.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me; teach me your paths, guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior.
R. Remember your mercies, O Lord.
Remember that your compassion, O LORD, and your love are from of old.
The sins of my youth and my frailties remember not; in your kindness remember me, because of your goodness, O LORD.
R. Remember your mercies, O Lord.
Good and upright is the LORD; thus he shows sinners the way. He guides the humble to justice, and teaches the humble his way.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion.
2nd Reading –
(Long Form) Philippians 2:1-11
Brothers and sisters:
If there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace in love, any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing. Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory;
rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves,
each looking out not for his own interests, but also for those of others.
Have in you the same attitude
that is also in Christ Jesus, who, 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.
All: Thanks be to God.
Alleluia – John 10:27
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel – Matthew 21:28-32
Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people: "What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, 'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.'
He said in reply, 'I will not,' but afterwards changed his mind and went. The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, 'Yes, sir, 'but did not go.
Which of the two did his father's will?" They answered, "The first."
Jesus said to them, "Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes
are entering the kingdom of God before you. When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him." – The Gospel of the Lord.
All: Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.
Nicene Creed
I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Prayer of the Faithful
OFFERTORY HYMN
MICAH #203 P.67
[He has shown thee, O man
What is good and what the Lord requires of thee] x 2
But to do justly, and to love mercy
And to walk humbly with thy God
P✠: Pray, brethren (brothers and sisters), that my sacrifice and yours 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 holy Church.
Prayer over the Offerings
Grant us, O merciful God, that this our offering may find acceptance with you and that through it the wellspring of all blessing may be laid open before us.
Through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen
P✠: The Lord be with you.
All: And with your spirit.
P✠: Lift up your hearts.
All: We lift them up to the Lord.
P✠: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
All: It is right and just.
P✠: It is truly right and just,.... , as with one voice we acclaim:
Sanctus
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.
P✠: You are indeed Holy, O Lord, the….
At the time he was betrayed and entered willingly into his Passion, he took bread and, giving thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:
TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND EAT OF IT,
FOR THIS IS MY BODY,
WHICH WILL BE GIVEN UP FOR YOU.
P✠: In a similar way, when supper was ended, he took the chalice and, once more giving thanks, he gave it to his disciples, saying:
TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND DRINK FROM IT,
FOR THIS IS THE CHALICE OF MY BLOOD,
THE BLOOD OF THE NEW AND ETERNAL COVENANT, WHICH WILL BE POURED OUT FOR YOU AND FOR MANY
FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS.
DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME.
P✠: The mystery of faith.
All: We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.
P✠: Therefore, as we celebrate the memorial of his Death and Resurrection,.....
P✠: Through him, and with him, and in him,
O God, almighty Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all glory and honor is yours, for ever and ever.
All: Amen.
Lord’s Prayer
P✠: At the Savior’s command and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say:
All: 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 from evil.
P✠: Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil, graciously grant peace in our days, that, by the help of your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
All: For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever.
P✠: Lord Jesus Christ, who said to your Apostles: Peace I leave you, my peace I give you, look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church, and graciously grant her peace and unity in accordance with your will. Who live and reign for ever and ever.
All: Amen.
P✠: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
All: And with your spirit.
P✠: Let us offer each other the sign of peace.
Agnus Dei
All: Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.
P✠: Lord Jesus Christ,....
P✠: Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.
All: Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.
COMMUNION HYMN
JESUS, NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES #158 P.51
Jesus, name above all names. Beautiful Saviour, glorious Lord
Emmanuel, God is with us. Blessed Redeemer, living word
UNTO THEE, O LORD #316 P.104
1. Unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul
Unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul
O my God, I trust in Thee, let me not be ashamed
Let not my enemies triumph over me
2. Yea let none that wait on Thee be ashamed
Yea let none that wait on Thee be ashamed
O my God, I trust in Thee, let me not be ashamed
Let not my enemies triumph over me
3. Show me Thy ways, Thy ways O Lord
Teach me Thy paths, Thy paths O Lord
O my God, I trust in Thee, Iet me not be ashamed
Let not my enemies triumph over me
4. Remember not the sins of my youth
Remember not the sins of my youth
O my God, I trust in Thee, Iet me not be ashamed
Let not my enemies triumph over me
Prayer After Communion
P✠: Let us pray (pause)
May this heavenly mystery, O Lord,
restore us in mind and body, that we may be coheirs in glory with Christ, to whose suffering we are united whenever we proclaim his Death.
Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
All: Amen.
P✠: The Lord be with you.
All: And with your spirit.
P✠: May almighty God bless you, ✠ the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen
P✠: Go forth, the Mass is ended.
All: Thanks be to God.
RECESSIONAL HYMN
RISE UP AGAIN #256 P.83
1. Don't you know that after the rain will come the sun
Don't you know that amidst the darkness, you will find the light
Don't you know that if you fall down, you can rise up again
You can try to rise up again
* Sometimes you think the world's so cruel and unkind
And everything's so hard to understand
But friend, oh please don't lose your hope, all is not lost
2. Cause my friend, tho' after the rain will come the sun
Just wait with hope in your heart and you'll see the light
And you'll realise that if you fall down you can rise up again
With love you can surely rise up again
