Liturgy Alive Tuesday, March 26, 2019

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Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Introduction

We don’t like too much—or not at all—to acknowledge it, but we have been forgiven a lot. Open, scandalous, upsetting sins… maybe not. Probably not. But scandalous, in the sense of totally unexpected on the part of people who profess to be the sign of the Church, of Christ, of God… perhaps yes: antipathies, non-sha-ring, animosities, enmities nurtured for years, living side-by-side without genuine love and sharing, maybe yes… and to many or at least some do the opposite of witnessing to what we profess to be, yes… Where is our forgiving others as God has forgiven us, as we pray in the Lord’s Prayer?

Opening Prayer

Lord, our God,
we consider ourselves your chosen flock,
the people who profess to be your sign of reconciliation.
God, how poor we are! How often we fail you
by forgiving by an act of condescension,
as if we did a great favor
to those who sought to be reconciled with us.
Lord, help us to forgive
the way and to the extent that you forgive us:
unconditionally and totally,
in the goodness of our hearts.
Give us this greatness of heart
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

General Intercessions

–    That we may be patient with one another, as God has been patient with us, we pray:
–    That we may forgive one another, as God has forgiven us, we pray:
–    That we may keep loving one another, as God keeps loving us even when we have repeatedly hurt his love, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Merciful Father,
we welcome your Son
in these signs of bread and wine
as the Lord of forgiveness,
who laid down his life for us.
May we, whom you call your chosen ones,
beloved and called to be holy,
be found ready to forgive willingly,
notwithstanding antipathies and hurt feelings,
that we may be to one another
the sign of your forgiveness,
which goes beyond our human feelings,
as followers of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Lord, it is beautiful but hard
to be the body of your Son,
the sign of the forgiveness and life
that he brings to the world.
But give us the courage, notwithstanding and beyond
all our human feelings, sympathies, and antipathies,
to bring to all around us
your message of love, tolerance, peace, and joy,
which you have given us here again
through the body and blood
of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Blessing

We are people who have received forgiveness from the Lord, and hopefully at times, also from people. We should know how to forgive, so that our praying in the Our Father may be truthful. May Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

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