Liturgy Alive Friday, 3rd week of Easter

Introduction

"Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" This is the question of Jesus the Lord when he lets Saul the persecutor encounter him on the way to Damascus. Jesus identifies himself with his persecuted disciples. From that moment on Saul will serve the Lord, whose life he will live. It is an encounter that radically changed Saul into Paul.

The Lord speaks to us today: "Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood live in me and I live in them." This will be our encounter with Christ. May this encounter be so deep that it changes us.

Opening Prayer

Our living and loving God,
how could we know the depth of your love 
if your Son had not become flesh of our flesh
and blood of our blood?
How could we ever have the courage
to live for one another and if necessary to die
if he had not given up his body
and shed his blood for us?
Thank you for letting him stay in the eucharist with us
and making himself our daily bread.
Let this bread be the food that empowers us 
to live and die as he did, 
for one another and for you,
our living God, for ever and ever.

 

General Intercessions

- For the Church, that the eucharist may remain the source of its vitality and of its ability to witness to the presence of the Lord in his community, we pray:
- For Christians everywhere, that they may hunger and thirst for justice in the world, we pray:
- For us here and for all Christians who come together around the Lord's table, that Christ may unite us heart and soul and make us open tables to one another, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord God, we want to live,
live to the full
and without limits or boundaries.
Give us the bread of life, we pray you,
that we may know and love and live,
that we may give ourselves
with him who gave himself
as flesh for the life of the world,
and be raised up with him on the last day
to live with you for ever and ever.

Prayer after Communion

God of the living,
you have given us the bread of life,
that we may eat it and not die,
All thanks be to you, Father,
but make our faith strong and deep
that your Son is with us,
that in him the world can live
a life worth living, a life of hope,
of justice and dignity and love,
a life that lasts for ever and ever.

Blessing

To live, to be alive, to be vibrant with life, that is how we and our communities should be if the Lord is really alive among us. Some early Christian communities called themselves "Hoi zõntes," "those who are alive." Shouldn't we all be? May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.