Oct 14 - Monday, 28th Week in Ordinary Time
Theme: BORN FREE
Readings:
Gal 4:22-24, 26-27, 31-5:1; Lk 11:29-32
Opening
Prayer
Lord our God,
your Son remained a free person
even in the face of death:
Life was not taken from him,
he gave it in freedom to you and to us,
that we might be free people.
Keep us free from slavery in any form,
from the evil of sin first of all,
but also from our own fears and complexes,
the pressures of people, the herd spirit,
that we may be faithful to the gospel
and free for people and for you.
This we ask you through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Scripture Readings
First
Reading Introduction:
In
a rather difficult passage, Paul speaks to us today of freedom: We are
born free as Christians, as people of the New Testament. Now that Christ
has set us free, we should see to it that we are never enslaved again.
Paul himself is a striking example of this "liberating freedom":
he has freed himself from pharisaism and could even take a free stance
regarding the other apostles when Christian freedom was at stake. Are
we free persons?
1st Reading: Gal 4:22-24, 26-27, 31-5:1
It says that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman, the other by the free woman, his wife. The son of the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but the son of the free woman was born in fulfillment of God's promise.
Here we have an allegory and the figures of two covenants. The first is the one from Mount Sinai, represented through Hagar: her children have slavery for their lot.
But the Jerusalem above, who is our mother, is free. And Scripture says of her: Rejoice, barren woman without children, break forth in shouts of joy, you who do not know the pains of childbirth, for many shall be the children of the forsaken mother, more than of the married woman.
Brethren, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.
Christ freed us to make us really free. So remain firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.
Responsorial
Psalm: Psalms 113:1-7
Praise the LORD! Praise, O servants of the LORD; praise the name of the LORD.
Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time on and forevermore.
From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the LORD is to be praised.
The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.
Who is like the LORD our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth?
He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the ash heap...
Gospel
Introduction:
Jesus reprimands
the Jews for not believing unless they see spectacular signs. But Christ
proclaims that faith consists in trust in the word and in the person of
the one who is sent. The early Christian community specified further:
faith rests in confidence in the risen Christ. The preeminent sign is
Jesus Christ himself. We believe not because of this or that wonder or
proof but because Jesus makes God visible to us.
As the crowd increased, Jesus began to speak in this way, "People of the present time are evil people. They ask for a sign, but no sign will be given to them except the sign of Jonah. As Jonah became a sign for the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be a sign for this generation. The Queen of the South will rise up on Judgment Day with the people of these times and accuse them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and here there is greater than Solomon. The people of Nineveh will rise up on Judgment Day with the people of these times and accuse them, for Jonah's preaching made them turn from their sins, and here there is greater then Jonah."
(Commentary)
General
Intercessions
- For the leaders of nations, that they may respect and promote human rights and work relentlessly for justice, happiness and freedom for their people, we pray:
- For the oppressed and the exploited, that they may not take their marginal existence as the will of God, but that they may become conscious that they too are called to be free, we pray:
- For this community, that we may not shut up ourselves within little prisons of self-interest, but that we may be truly one and free in Christ as a community of service, we pray:
Prayer
over the Gifts
God our Father,
we come before you and offer you our gifts
as your free sons and daughters.
Give us your Son as our guide
that through him we may win
the relentless struggle
to gain our interior freedom,
so that we may be fully human
and indeed your sons and daughters reborn free
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer
after Communion
Lord our God,
strangely enough, we are free
when we are bound to you as your people.
In this eucharist we have encountered again
your Son Jesus Christ.
With him, we are willing
to be all life long apprentices
of the freedom to serve and to love.
Let him go with us on his road
that leads to your land of freedom,
for you are our God for ever and ever.
Blessing
Born free, we should never become slaves to anyone or anything. Whatever is said today, we are sons and daughters of the Father, and that is a relationship of love, and therefore of freedom. May almighty God keep you free and bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Gospel Commentary (Monday)
There are many people today asking for signs. What more signs do they want? Do they not realize that only love, justice and peace can save this world? Do we need more violence? More civil wars? More selfishness? More drugs killing our youths? More injustice denying the minimum needed for millions of people to survive? It's very clear. We have enough signs to observe that our society cannot function on our basis. Unless we close our eyes, everything indicates that we must build a new society based on love and justice. It this not the Gospel?
Oct 15 - Tuesday, 28th Week in Ordinary Time
Theme: WHAT IS INSIDE YOU
Readings:
Gal 5:1-6; Lk 11:37-41
Note.
October 15 - Feast
of St. Theresa of Jesus, Virgin, Church Doctor
- see also Celebration
of Saints
Opening
Prayer
Lord, our God,
Jesus touched the dead and unclean lepers
to raise them to life and to heal them.
Let us not be afraid
of dirtying our hands to help people
but of soiling our tongues to tell lies
and to besmear the good name
of our brothers and sisters,
to quarrel with them and to hurt them.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Scripture Readings
First
Reading Introduction:
Paul
insists that our freedom comes from our faith in Christ and we should
never again give away that freedom. The only thing that matters is faith
working through love.
Christ freed us to make us really free. So remain firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery. I, Paul, say this to you: if you receive circumcision, Christ can no longer help you. Once more I say to whoever receives circumcision: you are now bound to keep the whole Law. All you who pretend to become righteous through the observance of the Law have separated yourselves from Christ and have fallen away from grace.
As for us, through the Spirit and faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. In Christ Jesus it is irrelevant whether we be circumcised or not; what matters is faith working through love.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 119:41,
43-45, 47-48
Let your steadfast love come to me, O LORD, your salvation according to your promise.
Do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for my hope is in your ordinances.
I will keep your law continually, forever and ever.
I shall walk at liberty, for I have sought your precepts.
I find my delight in your commandments, because I love them.
I revere your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes.
Gospel
Introduction:
In today's gospel Jesus reacts against
pious Jews who stress the observance of the externals - laws, rules, customs
- without inspiration and motivation from inside. Most probably the Pharisees
were sincere in practicing these outward regulations, but they easily
gave the ones practicing them the conviction of saving themselves through
them. In fact, in today's world too externals count heavily. People buy
things for their wrappings. Appearances are often all that matters...
It is not the shining cup that matters but the contents. Indeed, the contents
must be first-rate.
As Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to have a meal with him. So he went and sat at table. The Pharisee then wondered why Jesus did not first wash his hands before dinner. But the Lord said to him, "So then, you Pharisees, you clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside yourselves you are full of greed and evil. Fools! He who made the outside, also made the inside. But according to you, by the mere giving of alms everything is made clean."
General
Intercessions
- That the People of God, its leaders and members, may never put the law above people but always practice the great commandment of loving God in one another, we pray:
- That priests and religious make the poverty and love of Christ visible in them, so that their teaching may be credible, we pray:
- That our communities may be strong and faithful witnesses in our world for the truth, honesty and authenticity, we pray:
Prayer
over the Gifts
Lord our God,
you look into our hearts
and you invite us to come to the table of Jesus
and to worship you with him
in spirit and in truth.
Let there be no pretence in us,
no mere outward display,
no attempt to impress people
as to how good and religious we are.
Make us honest with you and ourselves
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer
after Communion
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
this eucharist has been for us
an occasion of reflection
on the way we live our faith.
Let the word of Jesus echo in us
that we do not save ourselves
by our own practices,
but that we owe everything to you.
Accept our thanks and love
that all we are and have
we have received from you
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessing
What is inside us? God knows, and I hope each of us knows too. May the Lord love what he sees, and may almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus never rejects anyone. His word and his presence are equally open for all. Today a pharisee invites him to dinner. According to the Gospel, the pharisees are his enemies. It does not matter. He enters and seats at table with him. But that does not mean he is lacking courage to say clearly what he thinks. We ought to learn from Jesus to be open to all without rejecting any. But we ought to learn also from him to express what we believe. Without any aggresivity. In a simple way. But with clarity. That's the only way to build community or friendship: with sincere and open dialogue.
Oct 16 - Wednesday, 28th Week in Ordinary Time
Theme: ALAS FOR YOU PHARISEES!
Readings:
Gal 5:18-25; Lk 11:42-46
Opening
Prayer
Lord our God,
your Son Jesus was the fulfillment
of the Law and the Prophets.
He knew and taught and lived
that the fulfillment of the Law and the promises
lies in the service of people and of you
in justice and love.
Let these too be the guides of our lives,
that with him we seek people
and above all the living person
of you, our God for ever and ever.
Scripture Readings
First
Reading Introduction
Christ
has liberated those who believe in him from the Jewish law, but that does
not mean that they can do just anything. Freedom is not licentiousness,
for that would make them slaves again, of what Paul calls "the works
of the flesh." They are now free and urged to do the good works of
the Spirit.
But when you are led by the Spirit you are not under the Law.
You know what comes from the flesh: fornication, impurity and shamelessness, idol worship and sorcery, hatred, jealousy and violence, anger, ambition, division, factions, and envy, drunkenness, orgies and the like. I again say to you what I have already said: those who do these things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is charity, joy and peace, patience, understanding of others, kindness and fidelity, gentleness and self-control. For such things there is no Law or punishment. Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its vices and desires.
If we live by the Spirit, let us live in a spiritual way.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 1:1-4,
6
Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; but their delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law they meditate day and night.
They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper.
The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away...for the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
Gospel
Introduction:
It is surprising that Jesus
could cure all ills - the blind, the deaf, lepers, yes, and also sinners
aware of their failures. But he could not cure Pharisees and scribes from
their "open-eyed" blindness. Jesus does perhaps not attack them
so much for their literal observance of the last detail of the law but
for getting so absorbed by the details of the law that they did not see
the roots of all laws, justice and love. This is also the key teaching
of Paul in his letter to the Galatians: not laws but the Spirit.
Jesus said, "A curse is on you, Pharisees; for the Temple you give a tenth of all, including mint and rue and the other herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. This ought to be practiced, without neglecting the other. A curse is on you, Pharisees, for you love the best seats in the synagogues and to be greeted in the marketplace. A curse is on you for you are like tombstones of the dead which can hardly be seen; people don't notice them and make themselves unclean by stepping on them."
Then a teacher of the Law spoke up and said, "Master, when you speak like this, you insult us, too." And Jesus answered, "A curse is on you also, teachers of the Law. For you prepare unbearable burdens and load them on the people, while you yourselves don't move a finger to help them."
General
Intercessions
- For missionaries and all who proclaim the faith, that their own lifestyle may be a strong argument to follow Christ, we pray:
- For all prophets in the Church, that their personal encounter with Christ may give them the power to speak for what is right and good, we pray:
- For us, that we may care little about outward display but for the things that matter: honesty, justice and love, we pray:
Prayer
over the Gifts
Lord our God,
we offer you ourselves through these gifts
and ask you to send us
the Holy Spirit of you and your Son.
Let him change these offerings into Jesus
and let him guide our minds and hearts
to bear fruits of life: love, joy, peace and patience
and all that brings happiness to God's people.
May we thus live the life
of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer
after Communion
Lord our God,
your Son has spoken hard words today
not just to scribes and Pharisees of the past
but to us, your people today.
Let these words wake us up
from our self-complacency,
our peace with ourselves.
Keep us from deceiving ourselves
or wasting our time and effort
on things that do not matter;
make us absolutely sincere
with ourselves and with people
and honest to you, our God,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessing
We believe in Jesus Christ. We recognize him as our Lord and Savior. This commits us, then, to practice justice and love of God and neighbor. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Since olden times, all prophets have repeated the same message: a call to live one's religion from the heart. Because there has always been the temptation of turning religion into a series of external things that must be done. Can anybody imagine a friendly relation or a marriage where everything consists of fulfilling a series of previous established norms? Indeed many marriages live this way. But right away we recognize that there is no authentic love there. We notice the same in many Christians who fulfill exactly the Church norms, but have forgotten how to love.
Oct 17 - Thursday, 28th Week in Ordinary Time
Theme: ALL ARE SAVED BY FAITH
Readings:
Eph 1:3-10; Lk 11:47-54
Opening
Prayer
Lord God of the covenant,
we thank you for the gift of faith
in your Son Jesus Christ,
in the forgiveness and love
which he brought us from you.
All you let us touch and feel
is pure grace and a free gift.
Give us grateful hearts, Lord,
that recognize your goodness
in nature, in people around us,
and above all in your Son Jesus Christ,
who lives with you and with us now and for ever.
Scripture Readings
First
Reading Introduction:
From
this week until Thursday next week, we read from Ephesians, which is perhaps
not directly from the hands of Paul. Today's reading is a long "blessing'
in the Jewish style, a thanksgiving for our salvation in Christ. God has
chosen us and destined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ, who is to
become the head of everything.
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
to the saints in Ephesus, to you who share Christian faith:
receive grace and peace from God our Father and from Jesus the Lord.
Blessed be God, the Father of Christ Jesus our Lord,
who in Christ has blessed us from heaven with every spiritual blessing.
God chose us in Christ before the creation of the world
to be holy and without sin in his presence.
From eternity he destined us in love
to be his adopted sons and daughters through Christ Jesus,
thus fulfilling his free and generous will.
This goal suited him:
that his loving-kindness which he granted us in his Beloved
might finally receive all glory and praise.
For in Christ we obtain freedom, sealed by his blood,
and have the forgiveness of sins.
In this appears the greatness of his grace,
which he lavished on us.
In all wisdom and understanding,
God has made known to us his mysterious design,
in accordance with his loving-kindness in Christ.
In him and under him God wanted to unite,
when the fullness of time had come,
everything in heaven and on earth.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 98:1-6
O sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory.
The LORD has made known his victory; he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises.
Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD.
Gospel
Introduction:
We cannot save ourselves by
observing laws and relying on our religious practices. We are saved simply
by the goodness of God who revealed himself to us in Christ. Even our
faith is a gift from God and this faith will set us free from sin and
make us share in God's goodness and love. This is difficult to understand
for the scribes, the legalists of Christ's day, and also for the legalists
of our time. They cannot understand that everything is grace...
Jesus said to the Pharisees, "A curse is on you, for you build memorials to the prophets your ancestors killed. So you approve and agree with what your ancestors did. Is it not so? They got rid of the prophets, and now you can build!"
(The Wisdom of God also said,) "I will send prophets and apostles and this people will kill and persecute some of them. But the present generation will have to answer for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was murdered between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, the people of this time will have to answer for them all.
A curse is on you, teachers of the Law, for you have taken the key of knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you prevented others from entering."
As Jesus left that place, the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees began to harass him, asking him endless questions, setting traps to catch him in something he might say.
General
Intercessions
- For all who witness to the truth, that the Spirit may put the right words in their mouths, we pray:
- For all of us, that we may do our tasks in life honestly and with zeal, we pray:
- For all who celebrate the eucharist, that the Lord Jesus may make us trustworthy and authentic persons, we pray:
Prayer
over the Gifts
God, loving Father,
what is there that we can give to you
which you have not given us first?
Accept these gifts
which you let our hands transform
into tokens of our gratitude.
And let us join in the thanks and praise
of your greatest gift to us,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer
after Communion
Thankful for all you have given us,
we ask of you today
God, our loving Father:
make us, in turn, generous and liberal
to all whom we encounter in life.
As we have received freely from you,
may we learn to give with open hands and hearts,
without asking or waiting for a word of thanks,
and giving ourselves with our gifts,
as Jesus did, your Son,
who is our Lord for ever and ever.
Blessing
Let us thank God for all the graces he has given us, especially our faith and our Lord Jesus Christ among us. Let us also be grace and blessing to one another, with the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All of us ought to have a special meditation: bishops, priests, religious, all who have a place of responsibility in the Church. Without any doubt we are tempted the same way as the pharisee. We are in some way professionals of religion. We possess the wisdom lacking in others. Our temptation can be to become good professors while forgetting we have to be the first ones living what we preach. And what about those who have distanced themselves from the Church because of our anti-testimony? It could be good to ask for pardon for that!
Oct 18 - Friday, 28th Week in Ordinary Time
Luke, Evangelist
Readings:
2 Tim 4:10-17; Lk 10:1-9
Opening
Prayer
Lord our God,
we stand before you with empty hands.
Our good intentions, the things we do
are powerless to save us.
God, help us to accept this truth,
for it hurts our pride.
Teach us to receive gratuitously
your grace, your merciful love
and also the help and love of our neighbor.
Save us from ourselves and from sin
by the grace of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Scripture Readings
You must know that Demas has deserted me for the love of this world: he returned to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia and Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke remains with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is a useful helper in my work. I sent Tychicus to Ephesus.
Bring with you the cloak I left at Troas, in Carpos' house and also the scrolls, especially the parchments. Alexander the metalworker has caused me great harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. Distrust him for he has been very much opposed to our preaching.
At my first hearing in court no one supported me; all deserted me. May the Lord not hold it against them. But the Lord was at my side, giving me strength to proclaim the Word fully, and let all the pagans hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth.
Responsorial
Psalm: Psalms 145:10-13, 17-18
All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD, and all your faithful shall bless you.
They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom, and tell of your power,
to make known to all people your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. The LORD is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds.
The LORD is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings.
The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
Gospel
Introduction:
Christ continues to
denounce the Pharisees. In the contradictions of a life that wants to
be faithful to the gospel, Christians have to go God's ways, not their
own. They entrust themselves into the hands of God who cares and to whom
we are very precious.
The Lord appointed seventy-two other disciples and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place, where he himself was to go. And he said to them, "The harvest is rich, but the workers are few. So you must ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers to his harvest. Courage! I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Set off without purse or bag or sandals; and do not stop at the homes of those you know.
Whatever house you enter, first bless them saying: 'Peace to this house.' If a friend of peace lives there, the peace shall rest upon that person. But if not, the blessing will return to you. Stay in that house eating and drinking at their table, for the worker deserves to be paid. Do not move from house to house.
When they welcome you in any town, eat what they offer you. Heal the sick who are there and say to them: 'The kingdom of God has drawn near to you.'
General
Intercessions
- That our faith may be a personal encounter with a living God to whom we commit ourselves, we pray:
- That we may not boast about what we have done for God, but recognize with humility and gratitude what God has done for us, we pray:
- That with great trust we may put ourselves into the hands of God, who loves us deeply in Christ, we pray:
Prayer
over the Gifts
Lord God, merciful Father,
in the face of contradiction and opposition
your Son Jesus went his loyal way to you,
for he knew that he lived
in the palm of your hand.
In these signs of bread and wine
we too entrust ourselves to you,
for we know that we are your friends
and that you care for us
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer
after Communion
Our God and Father,
you love us as we are,
even when you see our faults and failures.
You forget the evil we do
and we are good enough for you
to give us your Son Jesus Christ.
Accept our thanks
and let your Son fill us
with his Spirit of trust and love,
that we too may learn
to trust and love one another
and to be a community in which Jesus lives,
he who is our Lord for ever.
Blessing
Jesus assures us that God cares for us and that we are precious to him. Ask him to keep us in his love. May God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Like the disciples in Jesus' time, we are also sent to spread the good news to people. In today's Gospel, the particular good news to be shared is peace. To convey this message effectively we need to engage in a dialog of life with the people to whom we are sent, "eating and drinking at their table." In our sharing life with them, we become instruments of the caring and healing love of God. And our witnessing will be a strong message that the Kingdom of God is at hand.
Oct 19 - Saturday, 28th Week in Ordinary Time
Theme: THE ACTIVE SPIRIT
Readings:
Eph 1:15-23; Lk 12:8-12
Introduction
First Reading and Gospel. When St. Paul speaks to us about God's power at work in us and in Christ and the Church, in parallel passages he says this is the work of the Spirit. The Spirit unites and animates the Church. He is the Spirit of wisdom. He is the same Spirit of whom Jesus speaks: the Holy Spirit who will teach us what to say and do in times of persecution. Let this Spirit be with us in this celebration.
Opening
Prayer
Lord our God,
let the Holy Spirit, the bond of love
between you and your Son,
be present here among us.
May he bind us together in faith and love
and help this little Church here to be
all you want your universal Church
to signify to all:
the people of your good pleasure,
rich in hope and life and joy
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Scripture Readings
I have been told of your faith and your affection towards all the believers, so I always give thanks to God, remembering you in my prayers.
May the God of Christ Jesus our Lord, the Father of Glory, reveal himself to you and give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation, that you may know him.
May he enlighten your inner vision, that you may appreciate the things we hope for, since we were called by God.
May you know how great is the inheritance, the glory, God sets apart for his saints;
may you understand with what extraordinary power he acts in favor of us who believe.
He revealed his almighty power in Christ when he raised him from the dead and had him sit at his right hand in heaven, far above all rule, power, authority, dominion, or any other supernatural force that could be named, not only in this world but in the world to come as well.
Thus has God put all things under the feet of Christ and set him above all things, as head of the Church which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Responsorial
Psalm: Psalms 8:2-7
Out of the mouths of babes and infants you have founded a bulwark because of your foes, to silence the enemy and the avenger.
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?
Yet you have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor.
You have given them dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under their feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field...
Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before people, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. But the one who denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God.
There will be pardon for the one who criticizes the Son of Man, but there will be no pardon for the one who slanders the Holy Spirit.
When you are brought before the synagogues, governors and rulers, don't worry about how you will defend yourself or what to say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you have to say."
General
Intercessions
- That the Spirit of strength and trust may be given to those who are persecuted for following their consciences and standing up fro their integrity, we pray:
- That the Spirit of love may be given to those who want to grow in love of God and people, we pray:
- That the Spirit of unity make us one heart and one soul in our communities, that we may do for one another what Jesus has done for us, we pray:
Prayer
over the Gifts
Lord our God,
this piece of bread
and this draught of wine
will bring us the life and joy
of Jesus, your Son.
Let his Holy Spirit unite us closely
with Jesus, the head of his body, the Church,
as living stones of his community
of faith and hope.
We ask you this through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer
after Communion
Lord our God,
your Son has spoken his message to us.
By the power of the Holy Spirit
give us the strength to speak it
for all and to all as good news,
without fear or compromise.
Let him renew and unite us
as your people of hope and joy,
who proclaim with our lives
that you are our Father
and Jesus our Lord for ever.
Blessing
Like Paul we give thanks to God for the people's faith in Jesus Christ, a faith that makes them also love one another. And we pray that this faith may endure and nourish our hope, with the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
In our personal and functional interactions, we may be called upon to witness to our Christian faith through the principles and values we live and work by. In such situations, Jesus encourages us to be true to our commitment as disciples; to be on the side of the truth and what this demands of us. When our faith is tested and we remain firm in our choice for what is true, no matter how foolish and unwise this may seem to the world, the Spirit of Jesus will animate and strengthen us in our response.
Taken
from Liturgy
Alive for Weekdays,
& Bible
Diary 2002
(Scripture Readings from Christian
Community Bible, Pastoral Edition)
Copyright © 2002 by Claretian Publications
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