AD SENSE

Holy Trinity - Liturgy

Greetings     The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
    the love of the Father
    and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
    be with you all.
    R/ And also with you.

Introduction by the Celebrant

    A. Experience God with the Heart

    At this celebration of the Blessed Trinity, perhaps we ask ourselves how we can understand this one God with three faces, the Trinity. Our human mind is too small to grasp this mystery. But the Bible, already in the Old Testament, shows us that wisdom is not mere knowledge but the art of life, understanding with the heart as we reflect on our experience. And that experience tells us: God is love, and comes to us in many ways, with fatherly and motherly concern and care, with forgiveness and life brought us by Jesus, with courage and joy, hope and light poured out on us by the Holy Spirit. May we grow in this experience in this Eucharist.

    B. Our Relationship with God   Theologians try to deepen our understanding of God. That is their task, and God blesses them for it. Our concern is probably much more what God means for our Christian living. What, or better, who is God for me? What is my relationship to God? We are constantly told that God loves us and that he forgives us. How do I recognize this love? How do I respond to it? How does it affect my relations with people? Let God enlighten us on this feast of the Trinity and bring us closer to him.

Penitential Act    God generously shares his life with us.
    How have we responded to his offer?
    Let us examine ourselves before the Lord.
    (PAUSE)
    Lord Jesus, you have made known to us
    a Father who loves us more tenderly than a mother,
    who never withdraws his mercy and trust.
    All praise through you to the Father!
    Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

    Jesus Christ, you became one of us
    to seek out what was lost
    and you gave up your life for us:
    All praise to you for your kindness!
    Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
    Lord Jesus, you pour out on us
    the inventive, creative, refreshing Spirit.
    All praise to you for the Spirit!
    Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

    Have mercy on us, Lord,
    forgive us our sins and accept our thanks
    for all the goodness you let us experience.
    Lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.

Opening Prayer
    Let the Holy Spirit pray in our hearts
    to our living and loving God
    (PAUSE)
    Our One God,
    you wanted to be a communion of three persons
    so that you could share your one love;
    you made yourself one of us in Jesus, your Son,
    so that you could draw us into that love.
    Give us the grace to respond to your goodness
    through the Spirit poured out into our hearts.
    Fill us with joy and wonder for you
    and inspire us to love our brothers and sisters,
    to share with them and to be one with them,
    because you have loved us first
    in Christ Jesus our Lord. R/ Amen.

Liturgy of the Word

First Reading Introduction: God's Creative Wisdom
      In the Old Testament, God lets his word of wisdom speak as a person who carries out God's plan. God's living word becomes human in Jesus Christ: he will help people to live according to God's wise plan.

Second Reading Introduction: The Blessed Trinity In The Life Of Christians
      Jesus, God's wisdom, has brought us into the Father's world of forgiveness and grace. The Holy Spirit of love gives us the power to love. Our Christian life is thus rooted in the Blessed Trinity.
Gospel Introduction: The Spirit Will Reveal To Us The Father And The Son
       The Holy Spirit brings us the full, living truth about God; that is, the Spirit helps us to live in the love of the Father and to follow Jesus.

General Intercessions
    Filled with the love of our Father, let the Holy Spirit cry out in our hearts and say: R/ Our holy and mighty God, hear us.
    - Father of all love, put in our hearts the will to seek unity and peace for all. And so we pray: R/ Our holy and mighty God, hear us.
    - Father of all humanity, keep alive and strengthen in every believer the hope to be near to you as you are close to us. And so we pray: R/ Our holy and mighty God, hear us.
    - Our creative and saving Father, unite all Christians in the unity of one faith and of one way of life in Jesus your Son. And so we pray: R/ Our holy and mighty God, hear us.
    - Father, friend of people, lift up those in distress and pain; give them courage and a hope that does not delude them. And so we pray: R/ Our holy and mighty God, hear us.
    - Father whose children we are, let all Christian communities bear witness to your faithful care, your freedom, your justice and your joy. And so we pray: R/ Our holy and mighty God, hear us.
    Loving Father, hear our prayer, for it expresses our communion with you and with our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus our Lord. R/ Amen.

Prayer over the Gifts
    Our God and Father,
    accept these gifts of bread and wine
    and through your Holy Spirit change them
    into your creative word among us,
    your Son Jesus Christ.
    Let our eating and drinking
    of his body and blood
    strengthen us in the covenant of love
    with you and with our brothers and sisters,
    that we may reflect your eternal love
    until we live in full communion with you,
    Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
    our God for ever and ever. R/ Amen.

Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer
    With and through Jesus we offer to the Father in heaven this eucharist made holy by the Spirit. We now express our joy and gratitude.

Invitation to the Lord's Prayer
    Through the Holy Spirit of love
    poured out into our hearts,
    let us pray to God our Father
    the prayer of Jesus our Lord: R/ Our Father...

Deliver Us
    Deliver us, Lord, from every evil
    and give to our times
    the peace promised by your Son.
    Show yourself our generous Father
    and forgive us all our sins.
    Guide us by the strength of your Spirit
    to grow as a community of love
    and to prepare in patient, 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,
    who has reconciled us with the Father
    and who guides us by his Spirit of love.
    Happy are we to be invited
    to become one with him
    and to share his life as God's sons and daughters.
    R/ Lord, I am not worthy...

Prayer after Communion
    God, our Father,
    our whole life is placed under the sign
    of you and your Son and your Holy Spirit.
    Thank you for committing yourself to us.
    Help us to commit ourselves
    to our brothers and sisters in need
    and to be among them
    your sign of unity, love and hope,
    that we may truly live
    in the name of you, Father,
    of Jesus, your Son,
    and of the Holy Spirit,
    now and for ever. R/ Amen.

Blessing
    Let us go home in joy
    with the blessing of the Father who loves us,
    of the Son who brought us forgiveness and life,
    and of the Spirit who lives in our hearts. R/ Amen.

    Let the whole of our lives give praise to God.
    R. Thanks be to God.