Liturgy Alive Weekday after Epiphany

Introduction

What John says in his letter about faith in Jesus is exemplified in the Gospel. Faith consists in believing in Jesus Christ, “who came by water and blood.” When he was baptized in the waters of the Jordan, he was proclaimed Son of God; by shedding his blood on the cross, he accomplished his mission. This Jesus has eternal life. By believing in him, we encounter him as a person and share in his life.
The leper believes in him: “You can cure me,” he says. Jesus restores the man’s health and, thus, manifests once more that God’s power and life is in him.

Opening Prayer

Lord God of life,
we believe with all that is in us
that Jesus is your Son and our Savior.
He can heal us from the leprosy of sin
and give us a share in the fullness of his life.
Deepen our faith in him and let it change our lives.
Let us encounter your Son from person to person,
that he may live in us
and that we may bear witness
that he is our Lord and Savior,
who lives with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

General Intercessions

–    That all Christians, especially our leaders of the Church, may by their goodness and their spontaneous joy bear forceful witness that Jesus Christ is our risen Lord, we pray:
–    That all peoples of the earth may know where the Lord can be found and come to know his name and pray to him, we pray:
–    That the faith and hope of the sick and the dying may be firmly anchored in our Lord, Jesus Christ, who is the resurrection and the life, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord, our God,
in these signs of bread and wine,
we remember that Jesus shed his blood
to let us share in his life and love.
Renew us by his body and blood,
that we may grow in his likeness
and that you may recognize in us
the face of your own Son,
Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Lord God, loving Father,
your Son has been with us
and we entrust ourselves to him in faith.
Let this faith mark our lives,
that whatever the future brings,
we keep trusting and hoping
that he is our life and joy and healing,
and that with him and on account of him
we will live in your love,
for ever and ever.

Blessing

“Whoever has Jesus, the Son, has life,” says the apostle John to us today. May Jesus’ life keep growing in all of us, and may God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.