Liturgy Alive Protomartyrs of the Holy Roman Church

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Thursday, July 1, 2021

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
often we do not understand
what you ask of us in life.
Give us a trusting faith, we pray you,
that we may keep believing in you
even when we don’t see where you lead us.
Give us the faith of Abraham,
who was willing to sacrifice his son;
give us the faith of the lame man
who found fresh courage
when his sins were forgiven.
Tell us to stand up and walk
with the certainty that you love us
and want to bring us home to you,
who are our God for ever.

Liturgy of the Word

First Reading Introduction: The sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith.
           The incident of the sacrifice of Isaac was certainly a warning against the Canaanite practice of children’s sacrifices and a call for spiritual sacrifices. On the deepest level, it may very well be a test of the faith of Abraham, that God’s covenant and promise of a great posterity were not simply attached to Isaac because he was Abraham’s beloved son, but to God’s gratuitousness, God’s free gift. Torn apart and dispossessed, Abraham stands the trial in faith; he still has his son, but now as if constantly given by God.

Gospel Reading Introduction: They glorified God who had given such authority to men.
           It was, humanly speaking, a meager consolation for the cripple to hear that his sins were forgiven. But to the believer, sin is the root of human ills; when this root is taken away by forgiveness, the whole person is saved, especially in one’s body. In the Gospel, the scribes call Jesus a blasphemer. The official people of institutionalized religion challenge the true message of God, on account of so-called true religion. Let us pray today, that we may recognize the true Spirit of God when there is a message to tell us, even when it is unpleasant.

General Intercessions

–    That the Church, aware of its shortcomings, may humbly offer compassion and forgiveness to all who err, and become in our world a sign and instrument of reconciliation, we pray:
–    That we may show special love and care for the handicapped, for children who will never be able to play, for those who will never see God’s colorful world, for those who will never hear or sing songs of joy, we pray:
–    That our homes may become places of mutual understanding and reconciliation; that the young may learn from their parents and each other to forget injuries and to accept one another in their diversity and individuality, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
through this bread and this wine,
you unite us with your Son.
He remained faithful to you
when you demanded of him
an impossible sacrifice.
As we offer this sacrifice of your Son,
help us to learn from him
to say yes to any task or sacrifice,
which you demand of us in life.
Give us this faith, this love and loyalty
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God,
you have strengthened us again
by the presence of Jesus, your Son.
Widen the horizons of our faith
and help us to accept, not only with our minds
but also with our hearts and our whole person,
that you see farther than we,
that your heart is greater than ours,
and that sacrifice may be the toll to pay
for freedom, joy, and happiness.
Dispose us to accept this in trust and love
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Blessing

With the lame man when he was healed, we praise and thank God who says to us too, when we have sinned: “stand up and walk.” May God keep you walking and may he bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

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