Liturgy Alive Saturday 2nd Week of Advent
Introduction
In the Old Testament, the prophet Elijah is the “prophet of fire,” a fiery, zealous personality who makes fire come down on the enemies of God. He wanted to prepare the hearts of the people to accept God.
In the New Testament, the “prophet of fire,” the new Elijah, was John the Baptist. Full of zeal, he wanted to prepare the hearts of the people to accept Jesus as the saving Messiah. Who is calling us to conversion today and opening our hearts to make Christ alive in us? It is the Spirit of fire, who wants us to do with great zeal and love the work of Christ, that is, to bring the love, peace, and justice of God in today’s world. Do we let the Spirit kindle that fire in us?
Opening Prayer
Lord, our God,
let us never become indifferent
to the ardent message
which your Son speaks to us in the Gospel.
When we have become inattentive and uninvolved,
send us again prophets to wake us up
and to make us receptive again,
to make your kingdom among us a reality
For love of you and of people,
may we work for justice
and awaken others to love.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
General Intercessions
– That God may inspire among us prophets who in season and out of season wake us up from our complacency with ourselves and with the Church and the world of our day, we pray:
– For men and women of integrity and courage, who are voices that speak out against injustice and the disregard of human dignity, we pray:
– For prophets who dare us to do God’s work and to encourages us to build up a world of compassion and reconciliation, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Our living and loving God,
bread and wine are the signs
of how Jesus wanted to bring among us
your goodness and forgiveness,
even when people were not willing to listen
and nailed him on the cross.
Give us your Spirit of fire,
that we may not spare any effort
to bring about the new season
that Jesus came to bring among us:
a time of hope, peace, and love.
Let Jesus be our Lord, now and for ever.
Prayer after Communion
God of hope and of our future,
we thank you for giving us again Jesus
to strengthen us with his word and his body.
With Jesus among us,
let us not be afraid of committing ourselves
to bring about the new world
for which he laid down his life.
Let him make our love strong and lasting,
and fiery enough to take the risks
of facing contradiction and ridicule
for he is our Lord.
Blessing
May there be fire in us, the fire of the Spirit that inspires us to love and to serve without measure, with the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
