Liturgy Alive Friday, Octave of Easter

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Friday, April 6, 2018

 

Introduction

All evangelists underline the disciples' difficulty of recognizing the risen Lord. First they do not realize he is there, he is just like a stranger; then, usually as a consequence of a word or action, it dawns on them that it is the Lord; and those who love him most - today John - usually recognize him first. The risen Lord is quite different in appearance from the Jesus whom they had known before his death and resurrection.

Though their faith in the resurrection was difficult and slow, still it is the heart of the apostolic preaching: the risen Jesus is the cornerstone of our faith and our lives. As with the apostles, he stays with us as when we are toiling.

Opening Prayer

Our God and Father,
through our risen Lord, your Son Jesus Christ,
you have given us a message of hope
and a person to live for.
Free our faith from triviality and routine
and fill us with his Spirit of courage,
that we may learn to live
with the insecurities of the change of renewal
ever-demanded by the gospel
and by the needs of the times.
May our Christian living bear witness
to the name of him by whom we are saved,
Jesus Christ, our risen Lord.

 

General Intercessions

- For the Church, that it may continue proclaiming the good news of the risen Lord and bearing witness to him even if this annoys outsiders or even some of its own members, we pray:
- For our Christian communities, that without fear we may live our faith openly and do what is right and good in the name of Jesus, we pray:
- For all and each of us that we may recognize with faith and love the presence of the Lord in one another, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

God our Father 
you put good words on our tongue
and you fill our hands with good gifts;
you entrust even your Son to us
and place him in our hands.
Through him, then, and together with him,
let us become to the world
your word and your gift, your sign of hope,
and make us capable of bearing witness
to your love for people.
We ask you this in the name of Jesus the Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Lord God, our Father,
your Son Jesus invited us today
to come and eat the food of himself
which he had prepared for us.
May we too invite people far and near
to share the table of the things we have
and of the best that is in us -
our love and compassion, our encouraging word,
and our presence to one another.
May this be the sign to those around us
that your risen Son lives among us
now and for ever.

Blessing

May we raise up one another and bring one another healing and peace in the name of our risen Lord, Jesus. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

 
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