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

Growth is such a natural, normal phenomenon that we often don't notice it - until it stops. The same thing can happen in a life of faith: we can gradually become estranged from God almost without noticing it. Let us examine our hearts to see if this is happening to us. (pause)

Lord,
you make the just flourish like trees that are planted by a running stream:
Lord, have mercy.

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

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

Opening Prayer

Option A
Like scattered seed, whose growth is slow but steady,
your kingdom is revealed, O God.
At first so small,
its harvest provides for all who hunger.
Give us trust in your ways of planting,
and patience with your gentle nurturing
until we come to rest in the great branches of the cross.
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
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,
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

Homily

PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL

P        Walking by faith, not by sight,
          let us pray with confidence to God whose kingdom grows among us:

             With confidence we pray:

CM     Lord, hear our prayer. (Please repeat)

1. For those who work on the land: (pause)
   may their work bear fruit. We pray in faith.
   
2. For all here: (pause)
   that each of us may play our part, however small,
   in making the world a better place to live in. We pray in faith:
   
3. For our families, especially our children: (pause)
   that they may grow in the ways of grace and mature into Christ-like people.
   We pray in faith:
4. For persons whose growth has been stunted by crippling disease or by emotional disturbances: (pause) We pray in faith:
5. For missionaries who sow the seeds of God's kingdom in faraway lands. (pause)
   May their example and preaching cultivate fruits of faith, hope and love.
   We pray in faith:

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

P     Heavenly Father, open our hearts to your word so that we may always bear fruit.
       We ask this through 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

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 ...

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 with patience and 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;
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.
      Now broken for us, may it be a symbol of your love
      and a reminder that we must be ready to be broken
      for the life of the community.

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.