Sign
of the Cross
Greeting
May
the Lord who is merciful, gracious,
and abounding in kindness.
be with you all.
Option
A
Introduction
Jesus tells us
that God loves all of his children, deserving and undeserving. And
he urges us to imitate this all-embracing love of God. We know how
difficult this can be especially in relation to people we don't like.
(pause)
Option
B
Introduction
Jesus says to
us today,
'Be compassionate
Do not condemn
Treat others as you would
like them to treat you.'
How many of us could say that we live up to this Gospel command?
(pause)
Litany
of Praise
Lord Jesus,
you told us to love our enemies and do good to them:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you
told us to be compassionate
as our heavenly Father is compassionate:
Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you
told us not to condemn but to forgive others:
Lord, have mercy.
Option
A
Opening
Prayer
Compassionate
God and Father,
you are kind to the ungrateful
and merciful even to the wicked.
Pour out your
love upon us,
that with good and generous hearts
we may keep from judging others
and learn your way of compassion.
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
Opening
Prayer
In Jesus, your
Son,
broken and humiliated on the cross,
you have revealed, O God,
the unconquerable power of love.
Open our hearts
to the gift of your spirit,
and break within us the chains of violence and hatred,
so that, free to love even our enemies,
we may share in the triumph of good over evil
and bear witness with our very lives
to the gospel of peace.
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
Credo
PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL
P
Let
us pray that we may become who we are - daughters and sons of the
Father - who are called to mirror his compassion.
With confidence we pray:
With
confidence we pray:
CM
Lord, teach us to
be merciful. (Please
repeat)
1
That the church on earth may be a living example of the compassion
shown by Jesus. We pray:
2 That we may
heal those alienated from the church
by seeking their forgiveness for the past hurts inflicted upon them.
We pray:
3 May the Holy
Spirit renew us with the spirit of perfect love for others so that
we may overcome evil with good. We pray:
4 May we know
and experience the gift of forgiveness in our lives so that we, in
turn, may become more forgiving. We pray:
5 For IRAQ, SUDAN,
and all countries where there is war or civil strife: (pause)
that their leaders may choose the path of peace and reconciliation.
We pray:
[The
Presider may add a Petition that is local / relevant]
P
Compassionate
Father,
we thank you for the
forgiveness you have offered through your Son. Help
us to show this to others.
We make our prayers
through Christ our Lord.
AMEN
Prayer
over the Gifts
God
of mercy and compassion,
you set before us the table of your Son.
Through him we
bring before you
the joys and sorrows of all humankind.
May our lives
be precious in your sight
as we make our prayer through Christ our Lord.
AMEN.
Invitation
to the Lord’s Prayer
As
we forgive others,
we now ask God's forgiveness for ourselves
as we pray with Jesus:
Our Father ...
Deliver
us Lord
Deliver
us, Lord, from the temptation
to do good only to those who do good to us.
Help us so that we can love our enemies,
bless those who curse us
and pray for those who abuse us,
as we wait in joyful hope
for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ
Prayer
for Peace
Lord Jesus Christ,
you said to your disciples:
'Love your enemies;
pray for those who persecute you."
Help us to be merciful and forgiving
towards those who make life difficult for us,
and thus we will promote the peace and unity of your kingdom
where you live for ever and ever.
The peace of
the Lord be always with you.
Exchange
of Peace
Let us greet Christ in each other, as we offer our sign of peace.
Optional
Prayer to accompany the ‘Breaking of Bread’
P
By sharing this meal we meet Christ our
Lord.
In him peoples of
all nations will sit down at table
as children of the
Most High God.
A LAMB OF GOD.....
Invitation
to Communion
This
is Jesus who gathers people
from east and west,
from north and south.
Blessed are we
who are invited to join him at his banquet table.
Lord, I am not worthy…
Prayer
after Communion
Lord
God,
you have nourished us with
Word of God and the Bread of Life.
May the Spirit
of God, living within us,
give us the strength
to love our enemies,
to do good,
and to be compassionate, Father,
as you are compassionate.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
AMEN.
Solemn
Blessing
Do not judge,
and you will not be judged. AMEN.
Do not condemn,
and you will not be condemned. AMEN
Do to others
as you would have them do to you. AMEN.
And may the blessing
of God,
the Father, + and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
come down upon you and remain with you for ever.
AMEN.
Dismissal
Our
celebration is ended.
Go and be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
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