Liturgy Alive Friday, September 1, 2023
Opening Prayer
Lord our God, source of all wisdom,
you invite us to be wise
and to encounter your Son
with burning lamps in our hands.
Help us to be prepared to meet him
in the events of daily life
and in people around us,
that we may enter with him
into your feast that lasts for ever.
Liturgy of the Word
First Reading Introduction
In the first reading Paul admonishes the Thessalonians to journey to God in right moral living. In this passage he stresses purity, as impurity was typically a pagan vice. Christianity is not in the first place a morality, but moral living in accordance with the gospel. This is expected because we participate in the death to sin and resurrection to life of Christ. In this we are ready for the kingdom.
Gospel Reading Introduction
The key point of the parable of the wise and the foolish virgins in today's gospel is not so much vigilance as foresight, readiness for the kingdom, and only then, consequently, vigilance.
General Intercessions
- For our pope, bishops and priests, that they may constantly remind people of the eternal dimension of life and lead us with wisdom, patience and vigilance, we pray:
- For those discouraged and wounded in life, that they may not grow bitter and that from our presence and friendship they may draw fresh strength and hope, we pray:
- For our beloved dead, that they may live in the joy of the Lord, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
God, our Father,
you invite us all
to the feast meal of your Son.
Let the bread and the wine
of this eucharistic celebration
be the sign of the great feast
you have begun with us on earth
and our strength to go all the way
to its full celebration in heaven,
where your Son lives with you for ever.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God, in your kingdom
to wait does not mean
to be bored and inactive,
but to go out and meet your Son
and to build the future with him.
Do not allow any of us
to remain apathetic to a fellow human being
who waits for a word or gesture
of sympathy or encouragement,
for he is your Son to us.
Let your Son stay with us
to make your kingdom live and grow
until you complete it for ever.
Blessing
Be ready for the coming of the Lord, always. We know what we are waiting for: the Lord, full life, great happiness. No fear then. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
