Greeting
Today Jesus was baptized in the Jordan;
the Father recognized
him as his beloved Son;
the Holy Spirit
prepared him for his mission of service
May the Lord’s Spirit
of sonship and service
be always with you.
Introduction by the
Celebrant
Today, on the feast of the Lord’s baptism, Jesus, though he
was without sin, made himself one with sinners, with outcasts, with the poor in
any way, to bring them God’s forgiveness and life. He accepted that difficult
mission. At our baptism we have become one with him. Do we too, like him,
accept our mission to be good servants of God and people, even when this is a
difficult task. After all, we are Jesus’
disciples.
Penitential Act
We too are God’s beloved sons and daughter
s since the time we
were baptized.
Have we answered
God’s love
Let us ask the Lord to forgive us.
(pause)
Lord Jesus, servant of God
, you taught us how
to serve.
Lord, have mercy. R/
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, beloved Son of the Father,
through you we became
his daughters and sons:
Christ, have mercy.
R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you made yourself one
with all sinners and
with the weak:
Lord, have mercy. R/
Lord, have mercy.
Have mercy on us, Lord,
and take all our sins
away.
Make us live as
people loved by God
and lead us to
everlasting life. R/ Amen.
Opening Prayer
Let us pray that with
Jesus
we may be faithful servants of God and people
(pause)
God our Father,
with Jesus you call
us to be
your beloved sons and
daughters
and with him you give
us the mission
to become humble and
dedicated servants.
Grant that we may not
break
those crushed by sin
and sorrow.
Help us to serve
always the cause of right,
to be eyes to the
blind
and a voice for the
downtrodden.
May we please you in
all we do.
\We ask this in the
name of Jesus the Lord. R/ Amen.
General Intercessions
Today let us pray to our Father in heaven, who sent his Son
among us as a servant to set us free and to make us new. Let us say to him: R/
Lord, hear your people.
• For the Church
and its leaders, that they and we may not seek compromises with wealth and
power but serve and help the poor, let us pray: R/ Lord, hear your people.
• For all those who
do not know Christ or who are estranged from the Church, that the way we live
Christ’s Gospel may reveal to them the love of the Lord, let us pray: R/ Lord,
hear your people.
• For us Christians
and for all people, that the Holy Spirit may guide us to respect all who are
little and defenseless; that we may not crush them but give them justice, let
us pray: R/ Lord, hear your people.
• For all those who
are baptized, that they may follow Christ and that, like him, they may learn to
serve rather than to be served, let us pray: R/ Lord, hear your people.
• For us and all
our Christian communities, that the Eucharist may strengthen in us the gifts of
the Holy Spirit and make us ever more faithful to our vocation as God’s beloved
children, let us pray: R/ Lord, hear your people.
Lord our God, you
have called us to become new when we were baptized. Forgive us our cowardice
and keep renewing us through your Spirit, that we may have the courage to go
with Christ all the way, for he is your Son and our Lord for ever. R/ Amen.
Prayer over the Gifts
Our God and Father,
these gifts of bread
and wine
will become your
beloved son Jesus
on whom your favor
rests.
Strengthen us with
his body and blood
and let his Holy
Spirit renew us
as people who live
without compromise
the message of
justice and love
and the very life of
your Son.
In this way, may we
truly be
your beloved sons and
daughters
on whom your favor
rests,
now and for ever. R/
Amen.
Introduction to the
Eucharistic Prayer
Let us give wholehearted thanks to the Father for having
made us in baptism his beloved sons and daughters together with Jesus our Lord.
Introduction to the
Lord’s Prayer
Baptized in the Holy Spirit
and children of the
Father
through Jesus, his
beloved Son,
we pray with all
trust Jesus’ own prayer. R/ Our Father...
Deliver Us
Deliver us Lord, from every evil
and grant us your
peace in our day.
Revive in us the
grace of baptism
and guide us by your
Holy Spirit,
that we may be loyal
to our mission
of living the life of
Jesus in this world,
as we wait in joyful
hope
for the coming in
glory
of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom...
Invitation to
Communion
This is Jesus our Lord,
the beloved Son of
the Father,
on whom God’s favor
rests.
Happy are we to be
invited
to share his table
and to live his life.
R/ Lord, I am not worthy...
Prayer after
Communion
Our God and Father,
you have opened
heaven to us
to strengthen us with
the bread of life
and to fill us with
the Holy Spirit.
Make us new and call
us away
from our certainties
and attachments.
Send us out to go
forward without fear
on the road of
justice and peace,
that we may be your
beloved children
together with your
faithful Son,
Jesus Christ our
Lord. R/ Amen.
Blessing
At his baptism in the Jordan
Jesus was invested
with his mission
of bringing God’s
liberating love to people.
The Spirit guided him
to carry out that mission
in uncompromising
faithfulness.
At our baptism with
water and the Spirit,
we have received the
mission
to live like Jesus,
to go about doing
good as he did,
to be faithful and
just to God and to people.
May the God in whose
name we have been baptized
protect, guide and
bless you for this task:
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
