Liturgy Guide
16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

 

Sign of the Cross

Greeting  

The patience of the Father,
the love of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the strength of the Holy Spirit
be always with you.

Introduction and Litany of Praise

Option A
The Lord is good and forgiving, slow to anger and rich in compassion.
Let us now ask the Lord to give us the strength that we need to renew our lives. (pause)

You sow the good seed of the kingdom
and patiently wait for it to bear fruit:
Lord, have mercy.

You do not 'pull up the weeds',
but give opportunities to people to repent and return to you:
Christ, have mercy.

You instruct the disciples to be patient with others
as you are patient with sinners:
Lord, have mercy.


Option B
In today's Mass we learn that, through the parables of Jesus,
the mysteries of the Kingdom of God are revealed
to all those who are willing to listen. (pause)

Lord, you are good and forgiving,
full of hope to all who call on you:
Lord, have mercy.

Lord, you are merciful and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in kindness:
Christ, have mercy.

Lord, you turn toward us
and have compassion on us:
Lord, have mercy.

Opening Prayer

Option A
O God, patient and forbearing,
you alone know fully the goodness of what you have made.
Strengthen our spirit when we are slow
and temper our zeal when we are rash,
that in your own good time
you may produce in us a rich harvest
from the seed you have sown and tended.
We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever. AMEN.

Option B
[This Prayer is appropriate if the 3 parables (Matt. 13: 24-43) will be read]
With a love that is both powerful and patient, O God,
you sustain the growth of the good seed your Son has planted.
Let your word, like a mustard seed,
bear rich fruit within us,
and like a little yeast,
produce its effects throughout the whole church.
Thus may we dare to hope
that a new humanity will blossom and grow
to shine like the sun in your kingdom
when the Lord of the harvest returns
at the end of the age.
We ask this through out Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever. AMEN.

Liturgy of the Word

N.B.
Since the three parables in today's Gospel are somewhat disconnected the listener may find it difficult to focus. Suggestions:

1 Concentrate on the 3 Parables: v.24 - 35 only; (one shouldn't have to explain a parable!)

2 Concentrate on one parable only: e.g. v.24-30; and perhaps its explanation 36-43?

Homily

PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL

P        We do not know how to pray properly,
           so we ask the Spirit to intercede for us -
          for the good of the Church and of the world.

             With confidence we pray:

CM     Lord, keep us in your love. (Please repeat)

    1. That we Christians accept the truth that
      the Church of Jesus Christ,
      however holy, is also a community of sinners.
      May we resist the temptation to sit in judgement
      on one another. We pray:
    2. May evil-doers, criminals, and those considered
      "weeds" of society and church
      realize that God continually gives them chances
      to reform their lives. We pray:
    3. In our parish community may we recognize,
      affirm and rejoice in the goodness of one another.
      We pray:
    4. For ourselves:
      that we will be patient with the slowness of our own growth,
      and the apparent slowness of God's justice.
      We pray:

[The Presider may add a Petition that is local / relevant]

P     God our Father,
       you are great and you perform wonderful deeds.
       Hear our prayers in the name of the love
       that you bear for your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord. AMEN.

Prayer over the Gifts

Merciful God,
your Son Jesus invites to his table
the weak with the strong,
the proud with the humble,
the bad with the good.
Through our encounter with him
may we all become tolerant and forgiving with one another.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Invitation to the Lord’s Prayer

Option A
We do not know how to pray as we ought,
so the Holy Spirit helps us.
Let us now pray to our Father
in the words of Jesus:
Our Father ...

Option B
Brothers and sisters:
with the Holy Spirit who cries in our hearts,
"Abba, Father",
let us pray with confidence:
Our Father ...

Deliver us Lord  

Deliver us, Lord, from every evil,
especially from sin - the greatest of all evils.
Keep us free from judging and condemning.
Help us, rather, to accept and respect one another
as we prepare in patience and in hope
for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Prayer for Peace

Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your apostles:
"Peace I leave with you;
my peace I give you."
Look not on our sins of selfishness,
but on the faith of your Church,
and grant us through your Holy Spirit
the peace and unity of your kingdom
where you live for ever and ever. AMEN

Exchange of Peace
We look forward in hope
to the reign of peace established by Jesus,
as we offer each other a sign of peace.

Optional Prayer to accompany the ‘Breaking of Bread’

P      It takes many grains of wheat to make this bread.
        It is one though many.
        [To live as a community
        we must be one though many.]
        And so in the breaking and sharing
        we recognize the presence of the Lord Jesus
        making us one.

A     LAMB OF GOD.....

Invitation to Communion

This is Jesus the Lord,
who sows in our hearts
the good seed of God's word.
Blessed are we who receive him as the Bread of Life.
Lord, I am not worthy…

Prayer after Communion   

God of power and might,
you reveal your strength
by being lenient with the weak.
Fill us with the Spirit of Jesus,
that we may encourage rather than condemn,
and be constructive rather than criticize.
In this way may we become followers
of Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Solemn Blessing

God the Father is abounding in kindness to all who call upon Him.
May he grant you forgiveness. AMEN.

Jesus calls all people to his Father's kingdom.
May he give you the grace to trust in his promises. AMEN.

The Holy Spirit comes to help us in our weakness.
May he strengthen you with the power of his presence. AMEN.

And may our loving God bless you,
+ Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. AMEN

Dismissal     

As disciples of Christ,
as good soil bearing fruit in abundance,
go in peace to love and serve the Lord
.
Thanks be to God.



Related Resources
 
Daily Scripture Readings
from the United States Conference
of Catholic Bishops
   www.usccb.org
Liturgy Alive
Models of Liturgical Celebration                         
  www.bibleclaret.org
 
About the Author
Fr. Kevin McHugh
is a Columban Missionary from Ireland
who has served in the Philippines for many years.
He has devoted much of his time and efforts to make the liturgical participation
come alive in our Christian communities.

For inquiries, you can email Fr Kevin at
mchughkaymac1@gmail.com

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