Liturgy Alive Thursday, July 19, 2018

Opening Prayer

God with a heart,
you have made your love visible
in your Son Jesus, human like us,
and through him you have bound yourself to us
with a bond of faithful love.
Accept our thanks
and help us to reflect a bit of your own love,
that, like you and Jesus,
we may not be afraid 
of showing affection and concern to people
and of rendering them generous service,
even when it is inconvenient to do so.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Liturgy of the Word

Introduction to the First Reading

Isaiah voices a prayer of longing for God, asks for peace and hopes for a rebirth for his people. It represents the prayer of the just among his people. Our selection skips the parts referring to the fate of the unjust.

Introduction to the Gospel

The weak and the poor are open to the love of Jesus, for they are aware that they are fragile and vulnerable. He will give them rest and make them aware that what Jesus asks of them is a light burden, for it is carried in love. They will find rest in him.

General Intercessions

- Lord Jesus, make us aware how brittle and vulnerable we are, that we may simply ask for your help when we are in distress, we pray:

- Lord Jesus, may those who are tired in life and see no solution to their problems, turn trustingly to you, we pray:

- Lord Jesus, help us carry the burdens of others, for these are light as they are our brothers and sisters, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

God, source of all love,
your Son Jesus gave himself totally for you
as he gives himself now to us
in this eucharistic celebration.
May we learn from him
to help others carry their burdens
and to bring out the best in them.
Make our love as faithful and generous as his,
that he may live among us
now and for ever.

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God,
your love beat in a human heart
when your Son lived among people
as one of us.
Help us to become one with him
and give us hearts as wide as his.
May we prefer, as he did,
those who are loved least
and therefore need affection most,
that we may bring them a bit of your warmth
and love in them him who is our Lord
now and for ever.

Blessing

Let our Christian living be a hymn of gratitude to God's initiative of love and to Jesus' continual care. May the God of love bless you all, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.