Liturgy Alive Tuesday, January 17, 2012

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Tuesday, January 17, 2012

 

Saint Anthony, Abbott - Memorial 
January 17

Introduction

“If you want to be perfect, go and sell what you own… and come, follow me.” Saint Anthony (251-356) heard these words, gave away what he had and withdrew into the desert, as he thought that this was the place where the evangelical way could be practiced in all its purity. Later Anthony organized monastic life for the “fathers of the desert” who had followed him and for whom he wrote a rule. For a while he left the desert to defend his faith against Arianism and to strengthen those suffering for the faith. Then he retired again to the desert.

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
though he was a rich young man, 
Saint Anthony did not refuse the invitation of Jesus
to renounce his material riches
and to follow your Son radically.
Through the prayers of St. Anthony, 
may we too put our riches
not in what we have 
but in what you give us and make us
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
Let these offerings of bread and wine express
that we welcome your Son in our midst.
As he places himself into our hands,
entirely and without holding anything back,
may he give us the wisdom and strength
to go all the way with him,
without becoming sad,
without looking back
and without counting the cost,
for he is our riches and Lord for ever.

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God,
you have satisfied our hunger
for food that lasts.
Let it be a hunger that cannot be stilled
for you, for people, for life in its fullness.
Give us the courage to put Jesus and his gospel
above everything else and to give you
not only the best of what we have
but our very selves,
by the power of Jesus Christ our Lord.

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