Greeting
The Son of God proclaimed to you was never Yes and No; with him, it was always Yes. That is why it is through Christ that we say our Yes to God. May the Spirit of Jesus be always with you. R/ And also with you.
Introduction by the Celebrant
A. Beyond the Law Laws, orders, and commandments, who
likes them? Don't they take away our freedom? Yet the word of God tells us:
make your free choice between life and death. We see Jesus make his free choice
repeatedly, as at his baptism, his temptations, during his agony in the garden.
He chose God, his mission, for that was his life. He lives in us; in us and
with him he invites us to choose life and love and to go with him far beyond
the commandments. Then we will be really free.
B. Jesus Himself Is Our Law A lot of Christians look
upon their faith as a set of commandments to be obeyed and practices to be
faithfully kept. Jesus' message to us today is: our faith is much more than
rules and observances imposed from outside. Our faith is within us, in our
hearts, and that faith tells us what to do; the Spirit is prompting us. But
remember we can do nothing without Jesus. He is our model and our strength and
we are united with him. We ask him in this eucharist to help us see and do what
is right.
Penitential Act
If you are bringing your offering to the altar and there you
remember that your neighbor has something against you, go and be reconciled
first with your neighbor and then come back and present your offering. (PAUSE)
-Lord Jesus, you want us to respond to God's love not just
according to the letter of the law but with our whole heart: Lord, have
mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
-Jesus Christ, you have made love the foundation of all
commandments: Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
–Lord Jesus, all your life was a Yes to the Father and to
people. Make our Yes join yours: Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Lord, forgive us all our sins and teach us to serve you and
people from the depths of our heart. Lead us to everlasting life. R/
Amen.
Opening Prayer
Let us pray that we may share in Jesus' goodness and
faithfulness (PAUSE)
Lord God, loving Father, in your Son Jesus you have shown us
how we should seek and fulfil your loving will. Dispose us to respond to your
love from the depth of our heart and to be faithful to you in all we do. Make
us also respectful of one another and attentive to the needs of people, even
when they remain indifferent and thankless, that we may help to ban evil from
this world and bring to it your love and mercy. We ask this through Christ our
Lord. R/ Amen.
Liturgy of the Word
First Reading Introduction: Choose Between Life and
Death!
The prophet tells us today: God will be near to you and you
will shine with his light if you are near to the needy around you.
Second Reading Introduction: God's Wise Plan Leads
Us to Happiness
If we love God, we rely on his wisdom. With the help of the
Spirit, we carry out his plan; he will lead us to happiness.
Gospel Introduction: Jesus Invites Us to
A Radical Choice
Jesus invites us to go beyond the commandments to seek God's
will and the good of people.
General Intercessions
Let us pray to God our Father, whose law is a light for our
life. Let us say: R/ Lord, set your people free.
- For the Church, God's people on the march, that leaders
and members may support one another in a spirit of service and sincere
cooperation, let us pray: R/ Lord, set your people free.
- For the leaders of nations, that they may respect and
promote human rights and work relentlessly for justice and the happiness of
all, let us pray: R/ Lord, set your people free.
- For the poor, the sick and those living on the fringes of
society, that the Good News of God's love and mercy may be proclaimed to them
first of all, let us pray: R/ Lord, set your people free.
- For all of us, that we may never put the law above people
but practice first the great commandment of loving one another, let us
pray: R/ Lord, set your people free.
- For our Christian communities, that we may seek God's will
together, accept one another, respect each other's freedom, and bear witness to
God's goodness, let us pray: R/ Lord, set your people free.
Lord our God, hear our prayers for ourselves and for all of
humanity. Give us the courage to be free and responsible for ourselves and for
others as Jesus was, your Son, who lives with you for ever. R/ Amen.
Prayer Over the Gifts
God our Father, you have shown us in Jesus what it means to
say Yes to you. As we join him in his sacrifice, may we say Yes and do what we
mean, that our Yes to you may be a faithful response of love to you and to the
people around us. Make us free to serve you wholeheartedly through Jesus Christ
our Lord. R/ Amen.
Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer
With Jesus, we thank the Father for writing his law of love
in our hearts. With Jesus, we offer our Yes to God.
Invitation to the Lord's Prayer
With Jesus we pray to the Father that we may do his will in
everything. R/ Our Father...
Deliver Us
Deliver us, Lord, from our self-will that makes us fall into
sin. Teach us to love your law and to live according to its spirit of
commitment to you and to people. May we serve you without fear as we prepare in
joy and hope for the full coming among us of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ. R/ For the kingdom...
Invitation to Communion
This is Jesus the Lord, whose words and deeds were an
unconditional Yes to the Father and to us. Happy are we to receive his bread of
life and strength. R/ Lord, I am not worthy...
Prayer After Communion
God our Father, your Son Jesus has set before us the demands
of the Good News and the table of himself. In the tensions and risks of life; with
him may we choose you and happiness rather than sin and death. Give us a firm
trust in you that we can always count on you and that your Spirit will guide us
to go the faithful way to you shown us by your beloved Son. Grant this through
Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Blessing
Bow your heads and pray for God's blessing
May the almighty Father keep you in his love, that you may
not merely observe his law but keep it in your heart and love it. R/
Amen.
May you follow in the footsteps of his Son Jesus Christ and
be faithful, whatever the cost, to be free and to say Yes. R/ Amen.
May the Holy Spirit make you wise and give you the insight
and strength to give a free and responsible answer to God. R/ Amen. May almighty God bless you all: the Father,
and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen. Go in peace and love one another.
R/ Thanks be to God.
