Liturgy Alive 1st Sunday of Lent (A)

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Sunday, March 9, 2014

A. I Will Serve
B. Forty Days to Easter 

Greeting

We are gathered in the name of Jesus.
He brought us life instead of death;
by his obedience he made up for our disobedience.
May his grace and peace be always with you.
R/ And also with you.

Introduction by the Celebrant

A. I Will Serve 

When we take a serious look at ourselves, we realize that there are things that keep us from being the persons and the Christians we wish we were. We feel that we are not free to be our true selves. At the beginning of his mission Jesus looked at himself and saw the temptations that would keep him from carrying out his mission. Lent is for us the time to look into ourselves and to see what keeps us from being free to serve and love God and people the way we should. Let us go with Jesus into the desert, look into the depth of ourselves, and with Jesus reject what imprisons us, what keeps us lukewarm and indifferent, so that like him and with him we can serve.

B. Forty Days to Easter

On this First Sunday of Lent we have just begun our journey of forty days to Easter. We are the people of the forty days: the people of God in the Old Testament needed forty years in the desert to grow through their trials and mistakes into the People of God ready for the Promised Land. Jesus spent forty days in the desert in fasting and prayer to prepare himself to make his choice to be the kind of Messiah God wanted. We today are given our forty days, too, to re-examine ourselves before God whether we want to be and are the kind of Christians God wants us to be. We look up to Jesus here among us to see if with him and by his power we are willing to reject the temptations that try to divert us from the task God has given us.

Penitential Act

What keeps us from following Jesus all the way
on the road to God and to people?
Let us examine ourselves before the Lord.
(PAUSE)
Lord Jesus, you rejected serving yourself,
for you chose to serve the Father and people's happiness:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Jesus Christ, you rejected impressing people
with spectacular actions,
but chose the humble way of the cross:
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, you rejected power and wealth
but made love and the faith of the poor
the foundation of the kingdom of God among us:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Have mercy on us, Lord,
and forgive us all our sins.
Make us reject all temptations with you
and lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.

Opening Prayer

Let us pray that during this Lent
we may be truly converted
(PAUSE)
God our Father,
in the desert your Son Jesus struggled forty days
with the demands of his mission,
and he overcame all temptations.
In these forty days of Lent
convert us, turn our hearts
to the peace of your forgiveness,
the light of your love,
your concern for people.
Let us find the life and the joy
which Jesus brings us,
and dispose us to share it with others.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. R/ Amen.

Liturgy of the Word

First Reading Introduction: Tempted from the Beginning
In a symbolical story, the sacred writer says that as far as people can remember they have always been tempted to make themselves their own gods, absolute masters of their own life and happiness. This is the human tragedy.

General Intercessions

Let us pray to the Lord together with all Christians who make with us the effort this Lent to be free for God and for one another, and let us say:
R/ Lord, save us by your love. 

- For the Church we love, that we may grow together on the road of service and love, let us pray: R/ Lord, save us by your love. 

- For those who hesitate when tempted, for those attracted by violence, for those in the chains of evil, let us pray: R/ Lord, save us by your love.

- For those who abuse their power, for those who reject God, for those who refuse to serve, let us pray: R/ Lord, save us by your love. 

- For those who are hungry, for those who are persecuted, for the victims of violence, let us pray: R/ Lord, save us by your love. 

- For those who doubt, for those who despair, for those who are unfaithful,
let us pray: R/ Lord, save us by your love.

- For communities without love, for those who cannot forgive, for those hardened in hatred, let us pray: R/ Lord, save us by your love.

God our Father, we have prayed to you for so many. But we include ourselves too, for we are weak and fallible. Touch us with your love and convert us all, through Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
in these humble signs of bread and wine
your Son Jesus comes among us
to help us serve you and people.
May he overcome in us and in the world
the temptation to be rich,
powerful and influential
rather than good and just.
May we learn from him
to do your will and seek your happiness,
for you are our God for ever. R/ Amen.

Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer

Let us thank the Father for having given us Jesus as one of us. He overcame temptation, and because of him we too can resist evil and live for all that is good.

Invitation to the Lord's Prayer

With Jesus our Lord
let us pray to our Father in heaven
that we may stand the test
of all temptations: R/ Our Father...

Deliver Us

Deliver us, Lord, from every evil
and grant us peace with you,
with ourselves and one another.
In the necessary tests of life,
keep us loyal to you
and do not allow us
to trample anyone underfoot.
Help us to build up together
your kingdom of justice and love
until you will bring everything to completion
through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom...

Invitation to Communion

Deliver us, Lord, from every evil
and grant us peace with you,
with ourselves and one another.
In the necessary tests of life,
keep us loyal to you
and do not allow us
to trample anyone underfoot.
Help us to build up together
your kingdom of justice and love
until you will bring everything to completion
through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. R/ Lord, I am not worthy...

Prayer after Communion

Faithful God,
your Son Jesus was faithful to you and his mission,
even at the cost of his life.
May we go his way of loyal love
to you and to our brothers and sisters.
May we always choose you and life
rather than sin and death
and prefer the good of those around us
above our selfish interests,
as Jesus did, your Son,
who lives with you and with us
now and for ever. R/ Amen.

Blessing

In this eucharist we have looked at Jesus
and saw how he went through our temptations
and overcame them.
We have looked at Jesus
and in him we recognize our true selves.
He is the kind of person we, each in one's own way,
have to try to become.
During our forty days of Lent
we keep looking at him
and try to become more like him,
with the blessing of almighty God,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.

Let us go in peace
to love and serve the Lord in one another. R/ Thanks be to God.

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