Greetings
The Lord God loves all that exists and he is merciful to all. He overlooks our sins, so that we can repent. May our Lord, the lover of life, be always with you. R/ And also with you.
Introduction by the Celebrant
A. I Must Stay In Your House Today What a
consolation and encouragement for us that the Lord Jesus wants to be our guest,
our friend, our companion on the road! And this holds true whoever we are,
whatever we have done wrong. The Lord Jesus sees us and knows us and he wants
to stay with us today, now, in our actual situation. In this Eucharist we ask
him that we may become more aware of his offer and accept it with great joy.
B. A Small Person There are people who keep searching
for higher values in life. Perhaps one is only half satisfied with the kind of
life one is leading, or feels guilty about his or her way of life. The Gospel
of today shows us a small man, literally and morally, in search of the Lord. To
his surprise, Jesus sees the hunger in the man's heart and turns to him. Jesus
wishes to encounter him. If we ourselves recognize our smallness, the Lord will
show himself to us, and invite himself to go with us and to stay with us. He
will make us great in love and goodness.
Penitential Act
The Lord overlooks our sins, so that we can repent and live.
Let us commend ourselves to his mercy. (pause) Lord Jesus, you are kind and
full of compassion: Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy. Jesus
Christ, you support all who fall and raise up all who are bowed down: Christ
have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy. Lord Jesus, you are slow to
anger and you are good and loving to all: Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord,
have mercy. Lord, lover of life, let us live in your forgiving love; restore
us and lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.
Opening Prayer
Let us pray to God that Jesus may be close to us and change
us (pause) Lord God, lover of life, we are small before you because we are
aware that we are sinners. We bless you for the joy and the forgiveness that
you let your Son Jesus bring to your people. Let him be very close to us, so
that he may change our lives and mentality. May he dispose us to share with our
brothers and sisters your mercy and forgiving love. We ask this in the name of
Jesus the Lord. R/ Amen.
Liturgy of the Word
First Reading Introduction: God, The Lover Of Life The patient, merciful God gives the sinner a chance to repent, for he loves people. Even his punishments are "educational," intended not to condemn but to correct and to lead to conversion.
General Intercessions
With trust, let us pray to God who is kind and full of
compassion and let us say: R/ Give us a new heart, Lord.
• The Lord is merciful to all: that he may not walk on our
road of life without encountering us, let us pray: R/ Give us a new
heart, Lord.
• The Lord is powerful: that his grace may touch and heal
us, let us pray: R/ Give us a new heart, Lord.
• The Lord closes his eyes to our sins: that he may not walk
by without changing us, let us pray: R/ Give us a new heart, Lord. •
The Lord loves every living being: that he may not fail to lift us up, let us
pray: R/ Give us a new heart, Lord.
• The Lord loves life: that he may give us the life of the
Spirit, let us pray: R/ Give us a new heart, Lord.
• The Lord raises all who are bowed down: that he may give us
the courage to help spare people from injustice and exploitation, let us
pray: R/ Give us a new heart, Lord.
Lord our God, you are good to all and faithful to your
people. Lift us up, help us in our need. We ask this through Christ our
Lord. R/ Amen.
Prayer over the Gifts
Merciful Father, your Son Jesus did not shun or condemn outcasts
and sinners. He shared their table as he eats with us. In his presence they
found the courage to stand up and walk straight. Let your Son strengthen us to
go his way to the poor, the unwanted, social lepers, that they may see your
goodness in us and recover faith in you. May we thus proclaim your Good News to
the poor and walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ our Lord.R/ Amen.
Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer
God does not keep us imprisoned in our sins. Through Jesus
he takes us back into his friendship and trusts us enough to make us his
Church. For all this we thank our Father.
Invitation to the Lord's Prayer
In the name of Jesus the Lord we ask our heavenly Father to
forgive us as we forgive those who hurt us. R/ Our Father...
Deliver Us
Deliver us Lord from the pride that makes us admire
ourselves as to how great we are, and makes us look down on others. Make us
look forward to the coming of him who makes us great in your eyes, our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom...
Invitation to Communion
This is Jesus our Lord, who tells us that today he will stay
at our houses. Happy are we that we can welcome him and receive salvation from
him. R/ Lord, I am not worthy...
Prayer after Communion
Lord God, merciful Father, often we meet people who crave
for a smile, or wait for a kind word, who look for a sign of friendship and
sympathy. Do not allow us to pass them by with unseeing eyes. Give us sharp
ears and sensitive hearts to hear and understand their silent plea for help, as
Jesus did, your Son, who lives with you and with us now and for ever. R/
Amen.
Blessing
Genuine love is gratuitous, a free, undeserved gift. This is why God, the source of all true love, is responsive to people's miseries. His Son came to forgive our sins and to put us back on the way of life and love simply because he loves us. Should our Christian communities, then, not care more for marginal people with the same kind of generous love that God has shown to us? May you do so with the blessing of Almighty God: the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen. Go in peace and love one another. R/ Thanks be to God.
