Liturgy Alive Friday, Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time

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Friday, September 13, 2019

Opening Prayer

    Lord our God, you are just and holy,
    and yet you are patient and tolerant with us.
    We are but slow-learning students
    of our one Teacher, Jesus Christ.
    He saw people's faults,
    but he had come not to condemn
    but to forgive and save.
    Give us clear eyes to look
    into our own hearts and consciences,
    but dim them with the shades of love
    when we see the faults of those around us.
    We ask you this through Christ our Lord.

Liturgy of the Word

First Reading Introduction
Paul pours out his gratitude for what the grace and mercy of God has made him. God's grace has perhaps not appeared to us in a way as dramatic as in Paul's life, but, even though we have not been thrown off a horse by God's lightning irrupting in our lives, we have very much to be thankful for, and we too are what we are by God's love. What better way is there to express our gratitude than the eucharist?

Gospel Introduction
The gospel of today has everything to do with seeing: blind people cannot show the way to others, wounded eyes distort what they see in others and cannot see their own defects. We should have a bit of "sympathetic" blindness to the faults of others. And let us look first into our own hearts; this is perhaps the way to love others a bit more.

General Intercessions

    - That Jesus may show the road to follow to the honest seekers of truth and goodness, that false leaders may not mislead them, we pray:

    - That Jesus may show the road to follow to those who easily condemn and are reluctant to forgive and accept people, we pray:

    - That Jesus may show us the road to follow, that we may learn to see the evil that is in us and no longer condemn others for the evils we too are inclined to commit, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts
    Lord our God,
    your Son Jesus Christ let his light shine
    in our darkness;
    he opened the eyes of the blind.
    Give us your Son here in this eucharist,
    that he may open our eyes
    to your forgiving love and to your goodness
    present in people around us.
    Grant this in the name of Jesus the Lord.

Prayer after Communion
    God our Father,
    you let all of us here share,
    with our faults and irritating habits,
    in the meal of brotherhood and unity
    of Jesus Christ your Son.
    Help us to accept one another also in everyday life
    and to cover each other's shortcomings
    with the mantle of love.
    May we overcome evil with good
    and bring your peace on this earth,
    by the power of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Blessing
    Eyes that do not look for the evil in others are like the eyes of God. He is not a policeman out to catch us when we do wrong. He forgives, he heals. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

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