"The crucified Christ
is the power and the wisdom of God."
May he never be an obstacle or scandal to us.
The Lord Jesus be always with you. R/ And also with you.
Introduction by the Celebrant
A. The House Of My Father (Option 1)
If a Christian comes to Mass on Sundays but for the rest of the week doesn't care about Christ, cheats in business, lies, shows no love, then the religion of this person is not genuine. Our Lord tells us today that true religion, worship in spirit and in truth, unifies our lives in such a way that there is no part reserved for God and another part for ourselves only: God is to be present in all we do, Christ is our companion in all of our life. Let us ask Christ with us here in this Eucharist to inspire us in all we do and to journey through life with us all the time.
B. True Worship (Option 2)
Today we proceed on our way from Lent to Easter. We are told how Jesus drove the merchants out of the temple. It might be a good time to ask ourselves: what would the Lord wish to be driven out of us so that we become better Christians? What stands in our way of being closer to him in everyday life? What matters for us Christians is that we are attached to the Lord and close to the people he has entrusted to us. Then we can worship him with our whole life.
Penitential Act
There are many times when we have reserved
part of our life for ourselves only.
Let us seek forgiveness from the Lord.
(pause)
Lord Jesus, you invite us to encounter you
any time, any place, in any one:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, too often we come to church
with hearts too full of our cares
or too empty to pray to you:
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you want us to worship
in spirit and in truth:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Have mercy on us, Lord,
meet us with your forgiving love
and lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.
Opening Prayer
Let us pray
that we may be God's holy temple
(pause)
We often turn our hearts
into houses of pride and greed
rather than into homes of love and goodness
where you can feel at home.
Destroy the temple of sin in us,
drive away all sin from our hearts,
and make us living stones of a community
in which can live and reign
your Son Jesus Christ,
our Lord for ever and ever. R/ Amen.
General Intercessions (based on a model of Fr René Mouret)
Let us pray to the Lord Jesus who knows what is in the hearts of people, and let us pray to him in spirit and in truth: R/ Lord, hear our prayer.
• When people look for a God to pray to and to trust, may they may find no other God than the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit to worship, to love, and to serve, we pray you: R/ Lord, hear our prayer.
• When people look for a faith to believe in, let them encounter you, Lord Jesus, listen to what you say and follow what you do, we pray you: R/ Lord, hear our prayer.
• When people look for a reliable hope, let them discover your Word to inspire and to guide them, we pray you: R/ Lord, hear our prayer.
• When people look for faithful love, let them discover you, Lord Jesus, alive in people, in their words and deeds, we pray you: R/ Lord, hear our prayer.
• When people look for a community, let them discover the Church as the house of your Father where they meet your brothers and sisters, we pray you: R/ Lord, hear our prayer.
Lord Jesus, may we be close to you and love you not only here in this Eucharist but in everything we do and say, for you are our Lord for ever and ever. R/ Amen.
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord God, our Father,
with the bread of life
and the wine of joy of himself,
your Son will renew your covenant with us.
Let Jesus give us the will and the love
to be faithful to its demands
the way he was faithful to it
even when it meant the cross.
For we wish to give you true worship
through Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer
Let us give thanks to the Father and with Jesus offer him the worship of our life.
Introduction to the Lord's Prayer
Let us pray in Jesus' words to the Father
that we may all seek and do his will: R/ Our Father...
Deliver Us
Deliver us Lord, from the evil of sin
and from our obstinate self-will
that refuses to listen to you
and to those you have given us as our guides.
Help us to free our brothers and sisters
from our hunger for power and wealth
and from the oppressive structures
that keep them from living as your children.
Help us to prepare in hope and freedom
for the final coming in glory
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom...
Invitation to Communion
This is Jesus Christ,
our Savior and our Lord,
the power and the wisdom of God.
He was crucified
because he did your will to the end.
Happy are we to receive him
and to be filled with his power and love. R/ Lord, I am not worthy...
Prayer after Communion
God, our faithful Father
you have given us in this Eucharist
your Son Jesus Christ
to show us in him what loyal obedience means.
Let your Son be alive in us,
so that our Christian community may be
the temple in which he lives
and that gathers us together
as his brothers and sisters.
Keep us from all formalism,
that we may worship you with our lives,
by the power and wisdom of Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Blessing
By his words and actions
Jesus has spoken to us today
that we must serve God as he himself did:
in spirit and in truth.
Our everyday living must correspond
to what we believe,
in loyal service to God and people.
We must make ourselves free
for him and people,
in respect and love.
May God bless you and guide you:
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Let us go and build together
the community in which Jesus lives. R/ Thanks be to God.
