Liturgy Alive Monday, August 18, 2014

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Monday, August 18, 2014

 

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
we are eager to follow your Son
wherever he leads us,
but not if we have to give up
our little or big attachments to things or persons.
God, give us the mentality of your Son
and his Spirit of courage,
that with Jesus we may not count the cost
of giving ourselves to people and to you.
Be you our only God and our all
now and for ever.

Liturgy of the Word

Introduction to the First Reading
       When his wife dies, Ezekiel is not allowed by God to mourn. This is a symbolic action prefiguring that when the temple will be destroyed and many of the people killed at the total destruction of the city and the going into exile, no one will be left to mourn.

Introduction to Gospel Reading
     We probably pity the young man in today's gospel for not having the courage to give up his wealth for a higher good. He was a just man, full of good will, eager for more than an average, contented life. Yet when Jesus' call is directed to him, he cannot decide to give up his possessions to become fully happy. But are we better than he? Are we willing to share, also when it hurts, also at a cost of ourselves?

 

General Intercessions

- For people who have a hard time to share their riches, that the Lord open their eyes to the needs of people, we pray:

- For those who hear the Lord calling them to special vocations in the Church, that they may generously answer that call, we pray:

- For all of us, that we may appreciate God's gifts with gratitude and use them for the good of all, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
with this bread and this wine
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 strength
to go with him all the way,
without looking back
and without counting the cost,
for he is our 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 sacrifice everything
for Jesus and his gospel,
that with him we may give you
not only the best of what we have
but our whole selves, our all,
by the power of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Blessing

"What do I lack?" We think perhaps that, in good faith and without boasting we have done much for the Lord. Have we given ourselves? What is there that we could not give up? May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

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