Introduction by the Celebrant
What keeps people alive and growing and healthy? For their
body, it is food and drink. Yet even for their body not only food and drink is
needed but also the nourishment of love and security. What do we need to keep
us going as Christians? It is our trusting faith in God. That faith is kept
alive and growing in us through our close relationship with Christ. He
nourishes this faith and love in us with the food and drink of his word and
with the strength he brings us through the Eucharist; this is our
"viaticum," our food and drink for the road of life. It gives us the
courage to stand up for what is right and good. Let the Lord Jesus give us in
this Eucharist the food and drink of his word and his body.
Penitential Act
Too often we have not listened to Christ's word and have not
eaten enough his bread of life. Let us ask the Lord to forgive us. (PAUSE)
Lord Jesus, you give us the food of your word and tell us to
get up and walk: Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, you give us the food of your body and tell us
to walk by its strength: Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy. Lord Jesus, you give us the food of your love and tell us to go and meet our neighbour: Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Have mercy on us, Lord, and take all our sins away. Give us yourself as our food for the road and lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.
Opening Prayer
Let us pray that Jesus' bread of life may sustain us on our
journey (PAUSE) God, Father of life, your Son Jesus is our living bread come down from you to give life to us and to
our world. Let him restore our strength and courage as we journey with him
through life, and give us the will and love to share our bread with those who
need it, for in them Jesus cries out his hunger. We ask this in the name of
Jesus the Lord. R/ Amen.
First Reading Introduction: Bread for the Road Tired
of being God's voice to a people that does not listen, Elijah is on the verge
of a breakdown. Through an angel God gives him food to march 40 days - symbolic
of a life-time - to encounter God and to receive from him new strength for his
mission as a prophet.
Gospel Introduction: Bread for the Life of the World As
we need bread or food to live, so we also need bread for eternal life. Jesus is
that bread for the life of the world.
General Intercessions
Let us pray to Jesus Christ who said, "Those who come
to me will never be hungry; those who believe in me will never thirst." He
is bread for the road to all who seek him. Let us say: R/ Stay with us,
Lord.
- For those who leave the Church because they do not like
the renewal and for those who say farewell to the Church because changes are
slow in coming, that they may learn to accept the human dimensions of the
Church, let us pray: R/ Stay with us, Lord.
- For those who are down with discouragement, for those
wounded in life, for those who seek God but cannot find him, that we may become
to them the humble way to Christ, let us pray: R/ Stay with us, Lord.
- For those deserted
by the people they trusted, for those struggling to remain loyal to their
commitment in marriage or their mission in life, that the faithful Christ may
be to them the bread of fidelity and strength, let us pray: R/ Stay with us,
Lord.
- For the poor and the handicapped, for the loners and
misfits in life, that they may encounter real Christians who inspire and
encourage them to believe in the love of God and people, let us pray: R/
Stay with us, Lord.
Lord Jesus Christ,
when confronted with our own miseries and those of the people around us we feel
small and powerless. Be to all of us the bread of strength, that our hearts may
be compassionate, our love warm and deep, and our service faithful and
self-effacing, for you are our Lord for ever. R/ Amen.
Prayer over the Gifts
God our Father, you draw us to yourself through Jesus, whom
you sent to us as the bread of life. Make us become what we are about to eat, the
living body of Christ, united, bearing witness to him, and bringing his life to
the world. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. R/ Amen.
Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer
With joy let us raise our hearts and voices to thank our
Father for his goodness. He is the power that saves us, the strength that keeps
us going, through Jesus, given us in the eucharist.
Invitation to the Lord's Prayer
In the words of Jesus, God's faithful Son, let us pray to
the Father of all for strength and life: R/ Our Father...
Deliver Us
Deliver us, Lord from every evil and keep us from
discouragement. When we run out of resources and our strength crumbles, help us
to accept our limitations and give us the bread of strength of your Son to keep
us going in joyful hope until the coming in glory of our Savior Jesus Christ. R/
For the kingdom...
The Breaking of Bread (A. Schilling)
More than for food on the table, people ask for love and we
need understanding and acceptance. Let us implement Jesus' words and break
bread for one another. He has the power to change our lives.
Invitation to Communion
This is Jesus, our Lord, the living bread which has come
down from heaven, to be the life of the world. Those who eat this bread will
live for ever. Happy are we that the Lord invites us to eat this bread of life.
R/ Lord, I am not worthy...
Prayer after Communion
God, our Father who cares for us, in this eucharist you let
your Son tell us: Get up and eat and walk. Let Jesus sustain us on our journey,
keep us from discouragement, give us the courage to make him visible in our
words and deeds. Let him lead us to the mountain where you live as our God for
ever. R/ Amen.
Blessing
The bread of life that we have eaten commits us to one
another. If we are one with the Lord, we must also be one with each other. If
he committed himself to us at the cost of his life, we must live for one
another and see to it that among us no person is trampled underfoot. We can
carry out this assignment in life with the blessing of almighty God, the
Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Let us go with the strength of Christ and sustain one
another. R/ Thanks be to God.
