Liturgy Alive 4th Sunday of Advent (A) Emmanuel: God With Us
Greeting (From the Second Reading)
To you all, who are God's beloved
and called to be saints,
grace and peace from God our Father
and from the Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom 1:7).
R/ And also with you.
Introduction by the Celebrant
A. Emmanuel: God With UsB. A Child, Sign of Hope
God is with us. God is among us. God is one of us in Jesus, God in human form is alive among us and he comes to make us really and fully human the way God intended and wants us to be fully and perfectly human. Here is Jesus, our model of deep humanity. We have only to look at him and to let him shape and form us by his Spirit. Then we will also be fully and thoroughly the sons and daughters of or loving God. This is the beautiful message of today. Look at Jesus here among us. Let hisword and his Eucharist transform you, that we may become blood of his blood.
When parents, relatives, and friends are expecting the birth of a child, they say they are waiting for the "happy eve." The birth of a child is always a sign and a message of hope, for here is new life coming, here is a future. This is God's sign to us too: here comes hope for us, there is a future, for God is with us in Jesus. It will be a happy event for us too if we accept Jesus with joy and faith, like Joseph, like Mary.
Penitential Act
Let us turn to God, who even in our weakness
will always be on the side of people.
Let us ask the Lord to forgive us.
(PAUSE)
Lord Jesus, you are the promised Emmanuel,
Our God-with-us:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, you are our Savior:
you come to save us from our sins:
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you are one of us
fully human, to make us completely human
and sons and daughters of God:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Have mercy on us, Lord
and pour out on us your forgiving love,
make us belong to you.
and lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.
Opening Prayer
Let us pray to God
that we may give a warm place to his son
in our hearts and in our lives
(PAUSE)
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
let your Son be reborn in us
at the source of our life and hope.
Let him lift us up from our sadness
and bring us his light.
Let him make us just and reliable
and people of peace.
Let him come to all nations,
to every home and in every heart,
that together with him
we may give glory to you,
our God in the highest,
now and forever. R/ Amen.
Liturgy of the Word
General Intercessions
Our saving God hears the cries of his people. Let us entrust to him all our longings and all the people dear to us and to him. Let us say: R/ Come and visit your people.
- For a deeper faith in God's Son who became man to bring light for all those who seek, let us pray: R/ Come and visit your people.
- For peace and reconciliation in the world at large and in our own little worlds, let us pray: R/ Come and visit your people.
- For more respect and attention for concrete people in need and for greater concern for those who suffer, let us pray: R/ Come and visit your people.
- For light and wisdom for the leaders of nations, that all may have a fair share in the gifts of God's creation, let us pray: R/ Come and visit your people.
- For parents who expect a child, that they may shelter the new life with warmth and experience and pass on God's love, let us pray: R/ Come and visit your people.
- And for ourselves in our Christian communities, that we may be gentle to one another as God is good and gentle to us. Let us pray: R/ Come and visit your people.
Our saving God, give us your Son. In him all our expectations will be fulfilled, now and for ever. R/ Amen.
Prayer over the Gifts
God, our Father,
in these humble signs of bread and wine
you give us your Son Jesus Christ
as our God-with-us today.
Give us enough faith
to welcome him also in people in need
and to hear his constant call
in the events of everyday life,
that he may stay with us
now and for ever. R/ Amen.
Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer
With joy we give thanks to the Father that he wanted to become our God-with-us in his Son Jesus Christ.
Invitation to the Lord's Prayer
Through Jesus, our God-with-us
let us pray with the fullest trust
to our Father in heaven: R/ Our Father...
Deliver Us
Deliver us, Lord, from the evil of sin,
particularly from our self-satisfied pride
which closes us to you and your gifts,
Give us the simple receptivity
Of children and of the humble
that you may live among us
and fill our long waiting with the presence
Of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom...
Invitation to Communion
This is Jesus, the Son of God
and the Son of Mary
our Savior and our Lord.
Happy are we to receive him
As our Go-with-us. R/ Lord, I am not worthy...
Prayer after Communion
God our Father,
you choose to come among your people
in the weakness and humility of a child
through your Son Jesus Christ.
You have given him to us here
as our God-with-us.
Let him put us to shame
when we boast of our achievements
or place all our trust in our own resources.
Teach us that your Son himself
is the source of our power
and that we and the world can become fresh and new
through Jesus Chris our Lord. R/ Amen.
Blessing
In few days - if all this has not yet begun ---
there will be the light
of Christmas trees and stars
and the giving of gifts
to friends and relatives.
Le these get their meaning
in the light of God's greatest light
and God's greatest gift to us:
His own Son Jesus christ
as our Go with us.
In his goodness, may God bless you all:
The Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Go in peace
and let Jesus the Lord live among you.
R/ Thanks be to God.
