Greetings
Let us give thanks to the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ, for he has given us strength and he came to forgive us our sins. May his mercy and love be always with you. R/ And also with you.
Introduction by the Celebrant
A. It Is A Joy For God To Forgive When you
forgive someone who has hurt you much, how much does it cost you to forgive? Is
it done reluctantly or with joy? Do you have the courage to take the first
step, or do you wait until the other humbly begs you? Today's message is one of
great joy and peace: God is happy to forgive sinners. He welcomes them and he
embraces them. That's what he has done for us. How many times? Can we do it for
one another? Let us celebrate with Jesus the feast of our reconciliation with
God and with one another.
B. Which Son Am I? Forgiveness is so difficult and at
the same time so sublime that it surpasses our own powers. But not the power of
God's love. When God forgives us we are loved in the deepest of our being, even
where we are not lovable. We are accepted not because of what we have or what
we are; for we are accepted also when we stand empty-handed and feel we are not
worth much. We cannot earn forgiveness; it comes as a surprise from God. He
begs us to spring that surprise on others too: he alone can make us capable of
doing so.
Penitential Act
A. It Is A Joy For God To Forgive: Let us
thank the Lord for the many times he has forgiven us our sins. Let us ask him
to forgive us once more and to dispose us to forgive one another. (pause) Lord
Jesus, you did not wait for sinners to come to you but you went to seek them: Lord,
have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy. Jesus Christ, it is a joy for you and for your
Father in heaven to forgive wholeheartedly the repentant sinner: Christ, have
mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy. Lord Jesus, you ask us to celebrate and rejoice
with you when forgiveness restores people to life: Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord,
have mercy. Have mercy on us, Lord, and bring us the joy of your
reconciliation. Dispose us to forgive others gladly and lead us to everlasting
life. R/ Amen.
B. Which Son Am I? Let God's forgiveness come down on
us as the wholesome rain after many dry days. (pause) Lord Jesus, your name
means: He who comes to save people from their sins. Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord,
have mercy. Jesus Christ, you ask us to be merciful as our Father is merciful: Christ,
have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy. Lord Jesus, where you forgive and where we
can forgive, there can only be joy and celebration: Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord,
have mercy. Rain down on us your mercy, Lord, forgive us all our sins and make
us forgive others as you forgive us. Lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.
Opening Prayer
Let us pray to our faithful Father who always loves us and
waits for us (pause) God, our patient Father, it is a joy for you to forgive the
repentant sinner. You even allowed your Son to lay down his life to bring us
forgiveness and life. Dispose those whom we have offended to forgive us too, and
make us always ready to forgive wholeheartedly and without regrets those who
have hurt us. Make us people who forgive and receive forgiveness with the
goodness you have shown us in Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Liturgy of the Word
First Reading Introduction: God's Love Is Greater
Than His Justice God had saved his
people, yet they abandoned him to adore the golden calf. Moses pleaded with God
to spare his people.
Second Reading Introduction: Christ Has Forgiven Me
Paul is aware
that he is a sinner. But he has encountered the forgiving Christ. Full of
gratitude, he praises God's greatness and love.
Gospel Introduction: It Is A Joy For God To Forgive
The parables of this chapter of Luke have one focal point:
God does not give up on sinners; he keeps looking for them and welcomes them
back with joy.
General Intercessions
Let us pray to the Lord our God who is patient with sinners
and rich in mercy, and let us say: R/ Forgive us, as we forgive others.
• That God's Church may bring the Good News of reconciliation and peace to all
of humanity, let us pray: R/ Forgive us, as we forgive others.
• That the faithful of all Christian Churches may encounter
one another in a spirit of reconciliation and friendship, let us pray: R/
Forgive us, as we forgive others.
• That the disciples of Christ may fight all forms of evil
and sin and yet may not condemn and reject those who have committed them, let
us pray: R/ Forgive us, as we forgive others.
• That priests may be patient and merciful ministers of the
sacrament of reconciliation, let us pray: R/ Forgive us, as we forgive
others.
• That in our Christian homes parents may teach their
children by word and deed to be people who can forgive and are forgiven, let us
pray: R/ Forgive us, as we forgive others.
• That in our Christian communities strangers and
discouraged sinners may encounter the merciful God in the forgiveness of their
brothers and sisters, let us pray: R/ Forgive us, as we forgive others.
God our Father, your Son came to seek and save those who are lost. Help us to
accept wholeheartedly those who have failed and to celebrate together the joy
of your forgiveness, in Christ Jesus our Lord. R/ Amen.
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord God, merciful Father, this bread and this wine are the
signs, that you offer us forgiveness and life through your Son Jesus Christ. He
is willing to sit at table with people who have failed. Make us one in heart
and soul with him and with one another, that sin may no longer alienate us from
you, from our true selves and from our brothers and sisters. And may you
welcome us one day at your feast of joy that lasts forever and ever. R/
Amen.
Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer
At the heart of the Eucharistic Prayer we proclaim that
Jesus shed his blood for us "so that sins may be forgiven." Let us
thank the Father for his mercy.
Invitation to the Lord's Prayer
The prodigal son repented and returned to his Father. In the
words of Jesus, we too pray to our Father to forgive us our sins as we forgive
others. R/ Our Father...
Deliver Us
Deliver us Lord, from every evil, and grant us the wisdom of
discovering your will in everyday life. In your mercy, set us free from all
attachments and fears that keep us from hearing the call of your Son to follow
him. Help us to prepare in hope and joy for the return in glory among us of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom...
Invitation to Communion
This is Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of
the world. He welcomed sinners and ate with them. Happy are we to be invited to
share his meal. R/ Lord, I am not worthy...
Prayer after Communion
Lord God, Father of us all, accept our thanks that the grace
and love you offer us in Jesus your Son is always greater than our sins. In
gratitude for your forgiving mercy, may we carry out with joy the mission of
reconciliation, which you entrust to us. May we learn the joy of
forgiving through him who is our life and reconciliation, Jesus Christ our
Lord. R/ Amen.
Blessing
We know from experience that one of the hardest things in life is to forgive completely and without regret. How much happier our communities would be if we could put aside our injured pride and forgive one another wholeheartedly, if also we could give a place and new chances to those who have failed. May we be such a community of acceptance, friendship, and reconciliation, with the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen. Let us share with one another the peace of the Lord. R/ Thanks be to God.