Liturgy Alive Easter Feria

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Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Introduction

The Christians of Antioch, the first to be called “Christians” as disciples of Christ, were of two kinds: those Greek-speaking of Jewish origin, who had fled to Antioch from the persecuted Church in Jerusalem. They communicated their faith to their fellow Jews, but they must have spoken of their faith in Christ also to some people of pagan roots who accepted Christ, now no longer as the promised Messiah but as the Lord of all. This placed the Church in a dilemma. Were these marginal Christians only second-class followers of Christ? Barnabas, filled with the Holy Spirit, recognized God’s grace at work in them. Where the official Church of Jerusalem hesitates, Barnabas reads the signs of the times. To him, it is God’s will that these people accept Christ as their Lord. He faces and solves the missionary problems locally and is not afraid to go new ways.

Opening Prayer

Lord God, our Father,
the Spirit of Jesus calls us, as he called your Son,
to abandon our old selves and our old world
to be free for new life and growth.
Forgive us our fear and hesitations,
lead us out of our worn-out phrases and habits,
and our self-made certainties,
steep us in the Gospel of your Son,
that his Good News may become credible
in our times and our world.
We ask you this through Christ, our Lord.

General Intercessions

Let us pray today for the missionary Church and say: Lord, hear our prayer.
–    That the Church may never tire of preaching Christ as the Risen Lord, we pray:
–    That the Church may never tire of asking the Lord to make it ever new and to be attentive to the signs of the times, we pray:
–    That Christians may live in such a way that their life of faith attracts people to Christ, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Loving Father,
the bread and the wine on this table
speak to us of a journey into the future
to go together with your Son.
Change us as you change these gifts,
and transform us into the image of your Son.
Make us into people who dare to stand up
to speak your message without fear
in the language our times understand,
people who have the courage
to go new ways when demanded,
yet always loyal to your Son,
Jesus Christ, our Lord forever.

Prayer after Communion

Loving Father,
we are glad that we are called Christians,
men and women who follow Christ, your Son.
May we remain faithful to him
with a steadfast commitment
and fill us with the grace of the Lord,
that the Holy Spirit may live in us
and that we too may bring many to the Lord
and be worthy of the name
of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Blessing

May the grace of God be at work in us to keep us faithful with steadfast commitment, that we may be true disciples of Christ. May Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

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