Liturgy Alive Thursday 18th Week in Ordinary Time Year 1

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Thursday, August 8, 2019

Opening Prayer

Our living God,
we too, profess that Jesus is your Son,
that he came from you and went back to you.
We thank you for our faith,
that we have received as a gift from you.
But forgive us when it becomes difficult for us
always to follow Jesus on his way of suffering and death,
even though we believe that it is the way to glory.
Help us to think and live in your way,
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Liturgy of the Word

First Reading Introduction: Water gushed out in abundance.
           Water is a necessity of life, highly appreciated particularly by men living in an arid country, like the Jews, or as they experienced in the desert on their weary way to the Promised Land. Water easily becomes the symbol of God, who is at the same time both a firm, reliable rock and life-giving water. Faith in this rock is demanded.

Gospel Reading Introduction: You are Peter, I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.
           Jesus faces his apostles with the question “Who am I?” Peter, in the name of all, professes that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God, even though probably there is no direct recognition here yet of his divinity, but rather of his divine origin. After this “confession,” the Lord gives Peter his mission as head of the apostolic college and of the Church. Now that they know who he is, he can tell them also of his passion, death, and resurrection. Yet, this seems too much at that time: Peter protests. His faith is not strong enough. He thinks still in human terms. We profess to know who Jesus is. But do we too, not think too often in merely human ways?

General Intercessions

–    That the Lord Jesus Christ, may be and remain the cornerstone on which our lives are built and that we may build up the Church by our  loving and dedicated service, we pray:
–    That we may learn from Jesus to commit ourselves to the service of God and people totally and without conditions, we pray:
–    That those who see little meaning in life may discover in the Lord Jesus and his Gospel how rich and meaningful their life can be, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
we profess that Jesus, your living Son,
will be present among us
in these signs of bread and wine.
Let him strengthen us with his Spirit
to follow him wherever he leads us,
even through pain and death,
that with him, we may share
in your glory and lasting joy.
For he is our Lord for ever.

Prayer after Communion

God of power and might,
your Son Jesus Christ, has come here among us
without any display of power
but rather as the humble servant
of his brothers and sisters.
Let those who bear in the Church
the burden of authority
become more like your Son.
Unconcerned about power and prestige,
may they reflect the attitude of your Son,
who came not to be served but to serve.
Let this be their way to become great
in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Blessing

You are the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the living God. This is our profession of faith too, and it changes all of our life. To Christ we belong, we are his disciples. May we be good disciples, with the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

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