Liturgy Alive Monday, February 20, 2017

Opening Prayer

Compassionate God,
through your Son, Jesus Christ,
you raised the sick to a full life
by healing them.
Take us by the hand too,
touch us and restore us to a fuller humanity.
Touch our minds, that we may become wiser
and look at the world and people
with your own compassionate eyes.
Touch our hearts,
that we may love and serve people more.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

First Reading Introduction: Before all things else wisdom was created.
          In Year I, the first reading comes from the wisdom book of Ben Sirach, a high-placed Jewish official of Jerusalem in the 2nd century BC. Whatever wisdom a human person can acquire through education and experience falls far short of true and full wisdom which comes from God, and which often puts human wisdom to shame. Indeed, human wisdom is sometimes folly, and God’s folly, as the wisdom of the cross, is genuine wisdom.

Gospel Introduction: I do believe, help my unbelief!
        Jesus heals a man who is possessed. He demands faith and trusting prayer, otherwise we are closed to God’s action. Mark describes the healing of the possessed boy in terms of a raising up, like the cure of the mother-in-law of Peter or the raising up of the daughter of Jairus. By his touch Jesus heals and restores life.

General Intercessions
–    Lord, help us to raise up the downhearted from their discouragement by our friendship and our comforting words, we pray:
–    Lord, bless doctors, nurses, and those who care for the sick, that they may succeed in raising from their illnesses those who seek their help, we pray:
–    Lord, raise from the dead all those dear to us who died with faith and hope in the resurrection, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
here are your own gifts of bread and wine.
Touch them with the power of the Holy Spirit
to change them into Christ,
our brother and Savior,
that we may share in his victory
over suffering, sickness and death.
We ask this in the name
of him who came to raise us to a higher life,
Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Prayer after Communion
God of mercy and compassion,
let us share in the healing power
of your Son, Jesus Christ.
Give us a spirit of prayer and penance
to make us humble and strong,
and above all a sense of deep faith,
that we can do great things
if we believe in him
and let his power of raising up people
from their miseries and helplessness work in us,
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

Blessing
Touching people, taking them by the hand, freeing them from their isolation and raising them up from their sadness and hopelessness are also our tasks, as we continue the work of Jesus. Let us do so with the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.