Liturgy Alive Tuesday, July 9, 2024
Opening Prayer
Our God with a heart,
in your Son Jesus Christ you have shown us
your compassion for all that is weak
Give us shepherds who care for your people
and nourish them with faith and trust in you
and with an unselfish love
that knows how to serve
even without waiting for gratitude.
Let it be the kind of gratuitous love
that you have shown us
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Liturgy of the Word
Introduction to the First Reading
The people of God in the OT deserted God for idols - false gods, sham gods of their own making. They tried to fashion a god in their own image and likeness. Are we Christians free from idolatry? We make our own idols and bend our knees to them - some in the crude way: God is for Sundays; power, money, the horoscope for weekdays, or drugs and escapists pleasure; others in a milder way, but perhaps equally destructive of people and of God in us: efficiency, timesaving and speed, mechanization of life, comfort. Even the pious person may have his little idols: his devotions, his institutions, his intolerance, and his
Introduction to the Gospel
Jesus was spreading his message of good news in word and deed. Today he asks us that there may be among us many who hear his invitation to continue his work and to bring his liberating compassion to the people of our day. At least all of us should pray for such messengers, for the need is urgent.
- For the Church, the People of God, that the Lord may give us shepherds who reconcile and animate with fairness and love, we pray:
- For all our Christian communities, that we may trust and support our pastors, dialogue with them and share their burdens, we pray:
- For all of us, that Christ's care for us may inspire us to nourish one another with words of encouragement and hope and deeds of support, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Tender and compassionate God,
you give us food and drink
to sustain us on the road of life.
See how many people today
are needy and rudderless
and give them shepherds to guide them in life,
to nourish them with your living word
and with the food of lasting life,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
your Son Jesus still goes around today
to our cities and towns far and near.
Let his word be to all of us
good news of liberation
from the diseases of our hearts and bodies
and make us pass on this message
to the people around us,
at least by the way we live it.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Blessing
Let us be and proclaim the good news of God's kingdom on earth by our goodness and compassion. May almighty God bless you for this task, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
