Build-Your-Own Family Worship Service

This page will help you hold your own Sunday worship service at home if you are unable to attend Mass. It will take a bit more preparation than when we created custom weekly services, but not too much! If this is your first service at home, please watch the getting started video.

Preparation

Step 1: Click on the Liturgical Season

Advent Christmas Ordinary Time Lent Easter

If you're not sure what liturgical season we're in, the page for this Sunday's readings should tell you.

Step 2: Prepare the Scripture Reading and Reflection

Decide how you will read the Gospel reading during the service. To find out what the Sunday readings are, go to this page on the U.S. bishops' website and scroll down to the Gospel reading. Your options are:

Read right from that web page, which uses the exact same translation that we hear in Mass (in the United States).
Look up the same reading in your family Bible and read from it.
If you prefer a translation that is simpler, look up the same reading in the Contemporary English Version (CEV), which is used for Masses with children. You can do this on BibleGateway.com.

If you would like to play a Gospel video reflection, find it now. You can probably find one on this page from our friends at Ministry-to-Children. It is probably the most recent video posted (just check if it matched the Gospel you just read).

Step 3: Select Your Songs

Scroll down to the service below and make selections for the Opening and Closing Songs. Be sure not to reload this page or your selections will be lost.

We encourage you to review the Gospel reading for the day beforehand, so you can choose songs that are thematically connected, if possible.

Step 4: Finish Your Preparations

We recommend glancing through the whole service before you start. Adapt the service for your family, especially so it will be age-appropriate.
You could make the setting special by using a PURPLE GREEN WHITE table cloth, some candles, and anything else to make your space prayerful. Get the whole family involved in the preparations.
Prepare a bowl of water and a sprig of a plant for the sprinkling rite.
If at all possible, set up an Advent wreath before you begin. It's a wonderful reminder of the season to have in your home and a good way to focus your prayer. It can be as simple as four candles (three purple, one pink) and some greens. Search online for tips for creating your own wreath. If you don’t have three matching purple candles and a pink one, or you don’t have a wreath, you can do something as simple as use any combination of four mismatched candles placed on a plate to be your homemade Advent wreath. God will still hear your prayers!
Place your family Bible on the table, if you have one, opened up to the Gospel of the day.
The script has leader and various reader parts. Anyone old enough to read well can perform these roles.
An iPad/tablet computer or large phone could work well for reading the script. It would would be helpful to have two devices for multiple people to read.
Don't worry, you don't have to do this perfectly. Have some fun with it. Let's pray!

Step 5: Just Before You Begin

Silence and set aside all phones or other devices that may interrupt you.

INTRODUCTORY RITES

Introduction

Leader: Together, we celebrate the season of Advent,
a time of waiting, hoping, and looking
for how Christ comes into our world, bringing light into darkness.

Lighting the Advent Wreath

If you have an Advent wreath, now is the time to light the candles, one for each Sunday of Advent (the pink candle represents the third Sunday). For example, on the second Sunday of Advent, light two purple candles. On the Third Sunday of Advent, light two purple and one pink.

Opening Song

Greeting

Leader: ┼ In the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.

All: Amen.

Leader: Grace and light to you from God our Father
and from his Son, Jesus, who came to be one of us.
We bless you, O Lord, and we praise you.
(The response is: We bless you, O Lord, and we praise you.)

All: We bless you, O Lord, and we praise you.

Leader: We gather together now,
looking for your light and warmth in this season of Advent.
One with all who await your coming throughout the world,
let us now listen to God's Word and join in prayer.

Leader: Peace and joy to you from God our Father
and from his Son, Jesus, who became a baby for us.
We love you, O Lord, and we thank you.
(The response is: We love you, O Lord, and we thank you.)

All: We love you, O Lord, and we thank you.

Leader: We gather together now
to remember Jesus' childhood and how he grew to be an adult.
One with all who celebrate his coming into our world,
let us now listen to God's Word and join in prayer.

Leader: Grace and peace to you from God our Father
and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be God forever.
(The response is: Blessed be God forever.)

All: Blessed be God forever.

Leader: We gather together as a family
to listen to God's Word so it can lead us this week.
One with all of our sisters and brothers throughout the world,
let us now listen to God's Word and join in prayer.

Leader: Grace and peace to you from God our Father
and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be God forever.
(The response is: Blessed be God forever.)

All: Blessed be God forever.

Leader: We gather together as a family
to learn how to live more like Jesus.
One with all of our sisters and brothers throughout the world,
we journey toward the Cross,
let us now listen to God's Word and join in prayer.

Leader: Grace and peace to you from God our Father
and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be God forever.
The response is: Blessed be God forever.

All: Blessed be God forever.

Leader: We gather together now to remind ourselves that we are Easter people
and God invites us to look around and notice how new life comes out of death.
Together with all people of faith around the world,
let us join in prayer as we listen to God’s Word.

All: Amen.

Litany in Praise of God's Mercy

Together, we acknowledge how grateful we are for the mercy of God.

Leader: As we prepare to hear a story from our faith,
let us remember that God loves us so much
that he sent his Son to be with us. Lord Jesus, you know we don’t always choose to do the loving thing:
Lord, have mercy.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Leader: Lord Jesus, you teach us to treat others as we want to be treated:
Christ, have mercy.

All: Christ, have mercy.

Leader: Lord Jesus, you ask us to help build the Kingdom of God:
Lord, have mercy.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Penitential Rite

Together, we acknowledge how grateful we are for the mercy of God.

Leader: As we prepare to hear about God's love for us,
let us remember that the Lord always offers forgiveness,
for God is full of gentleness and compassion. Lord Jesus, you came to teach us how to love each other better:
Lord, have mercy.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Leader: Lord Jesus, you bring us Good News in times of trouble:
Christ, have mercy.

All: Christ, have mercy.

Leader: Lord Jesus, you came to bring us life:
Lord, have mercy.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Litany in Praise of God's Mercy

Together, we acknowledge how grateful we are for the mercy of God.

Leader: As we prepare to hear about God's love for us,
let us remember that God sent his Son not to judge us, but to save us,
for God is full of gentleness and compassion. Lord Jesus, you take away our fear in times of trouble:
Lord, have mercy.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Leader: Lord Jesus, you heal the wounds after we hurt each other:
Christ, have mercy.

All: Christ, have mercy.

Leader: Lord Jesus, you remind us that every person is a child of God:
Lord, have mercy.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Sprinkling Rite

Explain to your children that if you were in church now the priest would walk around and sprinkle everyone with water as a reminder of their own baptism. Invite your children to do a home sprinkling blessing now. They may dip the plant sprig (or just their hands if you don’t have one) into the bowl of water and use it to sprinkle a blessing on everyone in the family now. Let them enjoy this moment, even if they get you a bit wetter than you would like. You could also start the Gloria playing while you are still blessing, if you'd like.

Leader: God has given us new birth by water and the Holy Spirit.
May we stay faithful to Jesus for ever and ever.

Gloria

Leader: Together we sing in praise of God's glory!

Opening Prayer

Leader: Let us pray

Pause for a short time for everyone to pray in silence. Then pray the following out loud, carefully and with meaning.

Leader: God of justice and love,
you have created every person in your image
and given us all a dignity that can never be taken away. May we all do our part to love and respect everyone,
that we may always treat others
as we would like to be treated.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

LITURGY OF THE WORD

Alleluia

Gospel Acclamation

Play the video below, then sing together. There is a long instrumental ending from 2:30, so stop or turn down the volume as soon as the guitar solo starts.

All: Glory and praise to you, Word of life! Jesus! Jesus Christ!

Gospel

Lead your family in this action prayer, making the Sign of the Cross over your forehead, lips, and heart at each step.

Reader: Listen carefully for what God wants you to hear today. We now do this action prayer together: May the Lord be on my mind, ┼
on my lips, ┼
and in my heart ┼
as we hear the Gospel today. A reading from the holy Gospel (of name of Gospel).

Reader: The Gospel of the Lord.

Now read the Gospel aloud. If you haven't looked it up yet, you can find it on this page on the U.S. bishops' website (scroll down the page to the Gospel reading).

All: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Gospel Video Reflection

You can probably find a video reflection on this page from our friends at Ministry-to-Children. It is probably the most recent video posted (just check if it matched the Gospel you just read).

Reflections on the Readings

If your parish has provided a homily video online, you could play it here. Either way, take some time to talk together about what the readings mean to each of you. You can do this however you would like, but here are some suggestions.

What is this reading saying to us in our world today? What might it be challenging you to do differently in your life?
The word "Gospel" meand "Good News." What is the "Good News" in this reading?

General Intercessions

Leader: Now let’s pray together to God for what we need.

Simply speak aloud what you would like to pray for as a family. It's not hard to do! You can pray for as many things as you like. You could pray for:

Those closest to you (family & friends)
Those in need in your parish, neighborhood, and/or city.
Those in need in your country.
Those in need in the wider world.

Reader: We pray for...
let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

Lord's Prayer

Leader: Jesus taught us to call God our Father, and so we have the courage 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.

Sign of Peace

Leader: Let us now offer each other a sign of peace.

Share some hugs!

A Litany for Spiritual Communion

Leader: The response is: Lord, bring us closer to you!

All: Lord, bring us closer to you!

Leader: Lord our God,
we wish we could gather today with our parish community,
but we gather here out of love and concern for others.
You teach us that when two or three are gathered in your name,
you are there.
Together, we pray:

All: Lord, bring us closer to you!

Leader: Christ Jesus, you are present in a special way
when bread and wine are turned into your Body and Blood.
Since we cannot receive you in this way today,
We ask that you enter our hearts
so that we may receive you spiritually.
Together, we pray:

All: Lord, bring us closer to you!

Leader: Lord our God,
watch over your family
and keep us safe in your care,
for all our hope is in you.

All: Lord, bring us closer to you!

Concluding Rite

Blessing & Dismissal

Leader: Go in the peace of Christ.

All: Thanks be to God.

Leader: Christ is risen, alleluia, alleluia!

All: Thanks be to God, alleluia, alleluia!

Closing Song

Portions excerpted from or adapted from Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest: Leader's Guide © 1993 United States Catholic Conference (USCC), 3211 Fourth Street, NE, Washington, DC 20017-1194 USA. All rights reserved.

WORSHIP@HOME

Build-Your-Own Family Worship Service

Preparation

Step 1: Click on the Liturgical Season

Step 2: Prepare the Scripture Reading and Reflection

Step 3: Select Your Songs

Step 4: Finish Your Preparations

Step 5: Just Before You Begin

INTRODUCTORY RITES

Introduction

Lighting the Advent Wreath

Opening Song

Greeting

Litany in Praise of God's Mercy

Penitential Rite

Litany in Praise of God's Mercy

Sprinkling Rite

Gloria

Opening Prayer

LITURGY OF THE WORD

Alleluia

Gospel Acclamation

Gospel

Gospel Video Reflection

Reflections on the Readings

General Intercessions

Lord's Prayer

Sign of Peace

A Litany for Spiritual Communion

Concluding Rite

Blessing & Dismissal

Closing Song