Liturgy Alive 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

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Sunday, October 6, 2013

Greetings

May you keep alive in you
the faith and love in Christ Jesus.
May the Holy Spirit who lives in you
help you to guard the riches of your faith
and be always with you.
R/ And also with you.

Introduction by the Celebrant

A. Faith The Size Of A Mustard Seed
Beautiful statements about our faith may impress others and ourselves for a moment, but they do not change us. Inspiration to change comes from living witnesses, people who inspire us by the way they live. Often the disciples did not even understand Jesus, but they saw what he did, and how he lived. They admired him and so they asked, "Lord, make our faith grow!" People consider us practicing Christians, but the heart of the matter is whether we are believers, people of faith, close to our Lord, who live as we believe. Let us also ask: Lord, make our faith grow!

B. Faith Of The Servant
Who are we before God? This is the question asked of us today. We are just ordinary servants, who do what they have to do and do so in a spirit of faith, which is God's greatest gift to us. But if we have faith, God can do much with us. Even our stammering prayers, our clumsy attempts to love people and God, our efforts to make this world a bit more human and a bit more the way God wants it, are no more than things we are supposed to do and which the Lord expects us to do. We ask Jesus in this Eucharist that we may be good servants of God and people, and that with his help we may do better what we have to do.

Penitential Act

Our faith is often weak.
We ask now the Lord to forgive us.
(pause)
Lord Jesus, the disciples saw you pray
and they asked; "Lord, teach us to pray."
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, your disciples saw you
as a man in deep union with the Father
and they asked you, "Show us the Father."
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, your disciples then and now
see you seeking the will of the Father in everything,
and we ask you, "Increase our faith, Lord."
Lord, have mercy.R/ Lord, have mercy.
Forgive us our weak faith, Lord,
and give us a faith that moves mountains,
strong and deep and loving.
Lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.

Opening Prayer

A. Faith The Size Of A Mustard Seed
Let us ask the Lord
for a faith that keeps growing
(pause)
God our Father,
we thank you for our faith,
which we have received from you
as a gift to be developed with your help.
Make our faith grow day after day,
let it give meaning to our life
and express itself in love and justice.
Let it bring us joy and understanding,
and make us very close to you and to people.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

B. Faith Of The Servant
Let us pray
that our faith may be strong and bold
(pause)
Lord our God,
you dreamed a beautiful dream
for people and the world,
a vision of truth and life and love.
You entrusted it to us as a task
to be brought to a good end in partnership with you.
God, we are impatient for results
and yet afraid of the risks
of committing ourselves to your plans.
Give us, your servants, a trusting faith,
firm, loyal, enduring, and bold.
Make us grow in the conviction
that you can overcome might and evil
with what is weak and little,
and that your kingdom will come
by the power and love
of Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

Liturgy of the Word

First Reading Introduction: The Believer Will Live
God's people have to keep trusting in their trials, for their faith will save them.

Gospel Introduction: If Only You Had Faith!
Jesus wants his disciples to have absolute faith in God. And yet, even a life full of faith does not entitle us to privileges, for faith is a gift from God.

General Intercessions

Let us pray with a trusting faith in God for the hungers and needs of our world and of the People of God. Let us say: R/ Lord, give us a strong faith.
• For a fresh and deep faith that makes us, God's People, look at all we do in the light of the message and life of Jesus, let us pray: R/ Lord, give us a strong faith.
• For a courageous faith that is not afraid of contradicting the evils of injustice and discrimination in our world, let us pray: R/ Lord, give us a strong faith.
• For a loving and merciful faith that makes us attentive to the pains and needs of those who go hungry, of those who are underprivileged, let us pray: R/ Lord, give us a strong faith.
• For an unswerving faith that helps us overcome all doubts and hesitations and keeps us seeking God's will and plans even when the cost is high, let us pray:R/ Lord, give us a strong faith.
• For a humble faith which recognizes that faith itself is a gift from God and is grateful for the good that people do to us, let us pray: R/ Lord, give us a strong faith.
• For a serving faith that seeks the good of the community and tries to bring people together in strong bonds of mutual help and sharing, let us pray: R/ Lord, give us a strong faith.
Loving God, in you we believe, in you we trust, on you we rely, through Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.


Prayer over the Gifts
God our Father,
we firmly believe that Jesus your Son
will change into himself
these simple gifts of bread and wine,
so that he might be with us
with all his strength and love.
Help us to believe with all that is in us
that he is also with us in everyday life,
as the Lord of our lives and our friend,
giving meaning to all we do.
Let him make our faith a way of life
that gives you all honor and praise
now and for ever. R/ Amen.

Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer
God is near to us with all his love and grace in the life of every day. He has saved us through Jesus. Let us give him our wholehearted thanks and praise.

Invitation to the Lord's Prayer
Let us pray with trusting faith
to God, our Father in heaven,
and ask him to strengthen this faith
when it is tested by evil:
R/ Our Father...

Deliver Us
Deliver us Lord, from every evil
and grant us in our day the peace
of knowing that you are always with us.
Keep us from blaming you
when we suffer from the evil
we inflict on one another.
Do not allow our sins
to weaken the faith of those around us.
Help us to encourage one another
and to prepare together in hope
for the full coming among us
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
R/ For the kingdom...

Invitation to Communion
This is Jesus, the Lamb of God,
who died to give us life.
We believe he is our saving Lord
and our only hope.
R/ Lord, I am not worthy...

Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
accept our thanks for giving us Jesus
to revive and strengthen our faith.
Reassure us that he stays with us
in the cares and the heat of the day,
and that, with him walking by our side,
everything becomes possible.
Keep this faith and hope alive in us,
and help us to bear witness to it
through him who is with us always,
Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

Blessing
The Eucharist has been an occasion
to strengthen our faith in the Lord's presence.
It is perhaps good that at times
our faith is tried and tested
through difficulties and questions,
so as not to become complacent.
May such occasions be for us
opportunities to place all our trust
in the love and concern of God.
May Almighty God bless you,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Go in peace and take the Lord with you
in all you do. R/ Thanks be to God.

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