Liturgy Alive, Models of Celebrations

Introduction

The life of a pious Jew could be summed up as a response to God’s covenant of love with a covenant loyalty. This is also the life of a Christian, even more so: as God takes the initiative of offering his gratuitous love to his people and to each of us, so we try to give him a response of faithful love and offer to our neighbor a spontaneous, gratuitous love which comes from the depth of our being and commits us beyond the call of the law. Christian life is then communion with God, communion with people, even with enemies, for there should be no enemies for Christians.

Opening Prayer

Lord God, from you comes the initiative of love.
You seek us out and you tell us:
“I am your God; you are my people.”
You love us in Jesus Christ, your Son.
God, may our response of love
go far beyond the demands of any law.
May we seek you and commune with you
in the deepest of our being
and may we express our gratitude to you
by going to our neighbor
with a love that is spontaneous like yours.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.

Liturgy of the Word

First Reading: Dt 26:16-19

On this day, Yahweh, your God, commands you to fulfill these norms and these commandments. Obey them now and put them into practice with all your heart and with all your soul.

Today Yahweh has declared to you that he will be your God, and so you shall follow his ways, observing his norms, his commandments and his laws, and listening to his voice.

Today Yahweh has declared that you will be his very own people even as he had promised you, and you must obey all his commandments. He, for his part, will give you honor, renown and glory, and set you high above all the nations he has made, and you will become a nation consecrated to Yahweh, your God, as he has declared.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8

R/. (1b) Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

Blessed are they whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the Lord.
Blessed are they who observe his decrees,
who seek him with all their heart.
R/. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

You have commanded that your precepts
be diligently kept.
Oh, that I might be firm in the ways
of keeping your statutes!
R/. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

I will give you thanks with an upright heart,
when I have learned your just ordinances.
I will keep your statutes;
do not utterly forsake me.
R/. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

Gospel Reading: Mt 5:43-48

Jesus said to his disciples, “You have heard that it was said: Love your neighbor and do not do good to your enemy. But this I tell you: Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in Heaven. For he makes his sun rise on both the wicked and the good, and he gives rain to both the just and the unjust.

“If you love those who love you, what is special about that? Do not even tax collectors do as much? And if you are friendly only to your friends, what is so exceptional about that? Do not even the pagans do as much? For your part you shall be righteous and perfect in the way your heavenly Father is righteous and perfect.”

Commentary

WE are exhorted like our ancestors in the desert to obey and put into practice God's commandments with all our hearts and souls and listen to his voice only. We are God's own people and we are to give him glory because he has set us apart from the nations, and consecrated us to him. We belong with Jesus to our Father and we are to obey the fulfillment of these commands: we are to love our enemies and do good and pray for those who persecute us if we are the children of God. God lets his rain fall and the sun to shine on all of us: just and unjust and we are to learn the compassion and righteous behavior of our God towards each other-towards all others. O God our Father, rain down your grace and strength upon us so that we might obey with all our hearts and souls, as your Church in the world. Make us love our enemies and remember that we belong to You alone and no nation must be obeyed if it tells us to kill. You have said we must love our enemies and that means to begin with: we cannot kill them. Make us your children and hold us fast, O Father of all. Amen.

General Intercessions

–   That our Church and our Christian communities may be places of forgiveness, where we let God’s sun shine on good and bad alike, we pray:

–   That all of us may let our conscience guide us to choose good above evil, also when it is uncomfortable, we pray:

–   That love may remain or become again the key to our understanding of all laws and commandments, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God, loving Father,
in this eucharist
your Son gives himself to you and to us
with a free response of total commitment.
May he share this kind of love with us,
that we may become inventive and creative
in committing ourselves to the happiness
of all those far and near,
that together we may be your people
and you our God for ever
in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God,
you have made us your priestly people
to proclaim to the whole world
that you are a saving and loving God.
Grateful for your spontaneous love,
may we be aware of our task,
and be your word that encourages and forgives,
your hands that bless,
your feet that seek out what is lost,
in the strength of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Blessing

Love your enemies and pray even for those who hurt you. Not an easy task, but something that should be the mark of Christians. We have hurt God and he forgives. We should do the same for one another, with the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.