Sign of the Cross

Greeting  [1 Tim. 1:2]

Grace, mercy and peace
from God the Father
and from Christ Jesus our Lord
be with you all.

Introduction and Litany of Praise

In today's Liturgy, Jesus summarizes what it means to be his disciple:
loving God and loving our neighbor.
Love is the key to the Christian life because love is the very life of God.
The only failure for a Christian is the failure to love.
Let us reflect on this for a moment. [Pause]

Lord Jesus,
you teach us to love God with our whole heart, soul and mind.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Lord Jesus,
you teach us how to love our neighbor as ourselves.
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus,
you teach us that we cannot love God without loving our neighbor.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Opening Prayer

Option A
Your love, O God, is boundless.
We who were strangers
have been made your children.
We who were defenseless
have been brought into your household.
Keep us mindful of your deeds of mercy,
that we may love you with our whole heart
and love our neighbor as ourselves.
We ask this 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
God of mercy and compassion,
to those whom society most neglects or ignores
you extend your special protection.

Drive from our hearts the idols this world worships,
money and power, privilege and prestige,
that we may be free to serve you alone,
and by loving our neighbor as ourselves,
may make your Son's new commandment of love
the law that governs every aspect of our lives.

We ask this 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.

Liturgy of the Word

Homily

GENERAL INTERCESSIONS

P       Our God is a loving God, ready to answer all who call out to him.
         Let us present to him our own needs and the needs of all the world:

             With confidence we pray:

CM     Lord, hear our prayer. (Please repeat)

1. For the Church:
   that she will be a community whose faithfulness to God can be seen in the love she offers to all humanity:
   We pray:
   
2. That as we celebrate National Correctional Consciousness Week,
   we may show more concern for the welfare of those in prison:
   We pray:
   
3. May we never forget to show compassion to the widows and orphans and those in our community who are unwanted and unloved.
   We pray:
4. The tragic events in recent weeks in ________ and _____________
   remind us of the fragility of human life;
   we remember the thousands of victims,
   and we pray that the survivors will be able to rebuild their lives.
   We pray:

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

P     Heavenly Father,
       you so loved the world that you sent your only Son to live among us.        Help us to appreciate the immensity of his love.
       We make our prayer through Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord, as we celebrate the memorial of your Son's boundless love,
we humbly pray,
that through the ministry of your Church
his saving work may bear fruit
for the salvation of all the world.
Grant this through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Invitation to the Lord’s Prayer

Option A
God loves us even more than any earthly father loves his own children. We turn to him now for we are his children and pray:
Our Father ...

Option B
As children of one Father and the disciples of one Teacher,
let us pray as our Master taught us:
Our Father ...

Deliver us Lord  

Deliver us, Lord, from every evil
and grant us peace in our day.
Help us to love our neighbor as you yourself love us,
as we work in joyful hope
for the return in glory
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Prayer for Peace

Lord Jesus Christ,
you summed up the whole law and the prophets
in two great commandments….
that we should love God and love one another.
Lord, touch our hearts
so that we may be people who are able to love,
and enjoy the peace and unity of your kingdom
where you love for ever and ever. AMEN.

Exchange of Peace
Everything else will pass away but love will remain forever.
Let us give each other a sign of Christian love.

Optional Prayer to accompany the ‘Breaking of Bread’

P      Heavenly Father,
        your Son is the food that nourishes the whole world
        giving life in abundance
        to all who are searching for meaning in life.
        Through the breaking and sharing of this bread
        may we deepen our union with you and with one another.
A     LAMB OF GOD.....

Invitation to Communion

This is Jesus who said:
"Love one another as I have loved you."
Blessed are we who are invited to this banquet of God's love.

Prayer after Communion 

Lord God,
you have satisfied our hunger
with the one bread that sustains the human heart.
May our hearts reach out to the least lovable,
with the love that you have given us
in Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Solemn Blessing

May God bestow his gift of love upon you. AMEN.

May He teach you how to share that love with others. AMEN

May God's love lead you to everlasting life. AMEN.

And may the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
+ bless you now and forever. AMEN.

Dismissal     

Go, and love one another as the Lord has loved you.
Thanks be to God.