Liturgy Alive Monday, August 31, 2015

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Monday, August 31, 2015

Opening Prayer

God, Father of mercy and love,
you let your Son announce to us
that today is the time of grace.
Let his Spirit be upon us today,
that in the poverty of our own hearts
we may hear Jesus' stirring message,
that blind as we are, he may give us eyes of faith,
and that he may set us free
from the captivity of our fears and selfishness.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.

Liturgy of the Word

Introduction to the First Reading
       In today's first reading, Paul calms the fears of the Christian community of Thessalonica. They are expecting the return of Christ soon, in their very lifetime. Now, what about the Christians who have died before the Parousia, are they lost? No, says Paul, this makes no difference. As Christ died and rose from the dead, so those who have died will be raised up by Christ and reign with him. To them—and to us—Christ's resurrection is the foundation of our faith.

Introduction to Gospel Reading
      From now on until Advent begins, we shall read the gospel of Luke, the evangelist who pays special attention to the Holy Spirit, the mercy of God, Jesus' special concern for the poor, the role of women in the life of Jesus, and the liturgy. Luke presents his gospel in the form of a journey from Nazareth in Galilee to Jerusalem. Today we hear about the beginning of the so-called public life of Jesus, his program set for him by the Spirit. He announces salvation as starting "today" with his teaching and working among the people. For us too, the time of grace is today, in our time, with the Lord working and living among us now.

 

General Intercessions

- Lord, give eloquence and courage to our leaders and all teachers in the Church, that they may understand it and proclaim it as good news of liberation to all, we pray:

- Lord, open our eyes to the miseries of people; make us concerned about those imprisoned in their fears and the grip of injustice, we pray:

- Lord, make us receptive to your word. Free us from banality and fear, our self-security and certainties, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
it is perhaps easier for us
to accept your Son as our Savior and Lord
than the people who knew him
as the son of Joseph and Mary.
Help us to recognize him here in our midst
in these signs of bread and wine.
Accept this offering of our faith
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

God our Father,
through his words and his body
your Son Jesus Christ is alive among us.
Fill us with his Holy Spirit,
that we too, with him and in his name,
may bring his good news to the poor,
proclaim liberty to captives,
open the eyes of the blind
and set the downtrodden free.
Let this be to all the time of the grace
of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Blessing

Today, with Jesus alive among us in our community, we should also be ready to say with Jesus: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon us. He sends us to bring good news to the poor." May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

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