Liturgy Alive Friday, December 21, 2018

The reading from the third part of the book of Isaiah has for its keynote a confused universalism; on the one hand it describes the conditions under which non-Jews will be admitted to worship in the temple and to enter the covenant; on the other hand it says that all peoples are called to worship God.

In the Gospel, John the Baptist is described as the lamp testifying to Christ. But he himself is not the light. Christ is the Son of God and the light itself: what he does bears witness that he is not only the Messiah but also the Son of the heavenly Father.

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
through your Son Jesus Christ
you call all people to know you
and to offer you their worship.
Grant your Church,
the community of your people,
to be open to all nations and cultures,
that all may give you glory
in every language on earth
and that every culture may express
that no people is alien to you
in Christ Jesus our Lord.

General Intercessions

–   That we may keep doing the works of justice, so that everyone has a chance to live in human dignity, we pray:

–   That foreigners among us may not be discriminated against but welcomed hospitably and treated well, we pray:

–   That the Church may be open to all peoples and all cultures, as a place of universal brotherhood and love, we pray:

–   That the works of justice and mercy we do may enlighten and attract many to Christ, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
accept in this bread and this wine
our recognition of your Son Jesus Christ
as one of us, fully human,
yet our Savior and our God.
May our thoughts and our way of life
bear witness that he is alive today
and that he is the Lord of all
now and for ever.

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God,
you call us to be lamps
alight and shining
in witness of Jesus your Son.
Let him be the bright flame
warming our hearts
and illuminating our lives, 
so that we can draw all people
to walk in the light of your love,
for Jesus Christ is our Lord
and you are our God for ever and ever.

Blessing

Let us work and pray that the house of God may be really a house of prayer for all peoples. We have to witness to all that Christ is alive in our world. May almighty God bless you, the Father, an the Son, and the Holy Spirit.