Liturgy Alive Easter Feria

Introduction

In strikingly parallel ways, both Paul and Christ speak of the mission they have carried out—Christ with absolute certainty, Paul, knowing his limitations, to the best of his abilities. Paul knows that trials are awaiting him, but led by the Holy Spirit who guided his life, he will go ahead, even when he does not know what is awaiting him. Jesus has given the best of himself to make the Father known to all. He prays that they may all be one.

Opening Prayer

Lord, our God,
your Son, Jesus Christ,
carried out the mission you had given him,
without fear and in all faithfulness to you.
God, give us a bit
of his sense of mission.
Give us the strength of the Spirit
to speak your Word as it is,
bold and demanding,
without compromising or giving in
to the changing moods and fashions of the day.
And may our lives be like an open book
in which people can read your Word.
We ask you this through Christ, our Lord.

General Intercessions

–    For the Church, that the Spirit may help it carry without compromise or hesitation, the task of making Christ’s name known in today’s world, we pray:
–    For our Christian communities, that the Holy Spirit may help us to keep and live the Gospel as Good News, we pray:
–    For all and each of us, that the Spirit may make us more aware that we belong to Christ and that Christ loves us deeply, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
we sit at the table of Jesus
and through him, we are one with you.
Make us deeply aware
that Jesus has given us
the people around us
to make your name known to them.
Help us to care for them
because they belong to you
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Lord, our God,
we pray to you today
for a deep sense of mission.
Through the Spirit of your Son,
give us the courage
to accept the challenge
of being responsible for our brothers and sisters.
Let your Son encounter people through us
and break to them the bread
of your Word and your life.
We ask you this through Christ, our Lord.

Blessing

With Jesus and like Paul, may we say with gratitude that we have carried out our task in life, the work God gave us to do, and may God forgive us where we failed. May Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.