Sign of the Cross

Greeting  [adapted from Ps 145]

Blessed be the Lord our God
who satisfies the desire of every living being.
May God's love and care be always with you.

Introduction and Litany of Praise

Option A
In today's Gospel a boy gives Jesus the little he has
- five loaves and two fish. In the hands of Jesus
this is enough to feed a large crowd.
In every Mass, we bring the little we have to Jesus,
asking him to transform our gift
for the greater honor and glory of God. (pause)

Lord, you give food in due time to all those who look to you in hope:
Lord, have mercy.

You open wide your hand, you grant the desires of all who live:
Christ, have mercy.

You are close to all who call on you from their hearts:
Lord, have mercy.

 

Option B
Jesus fed the hungry, and does so with great generosity.
Today he feeds us with the food of the Eucharist.
We receive his precious food,
not because we are worthy of it, but because we need it…
and he invites us to receive it. (pause)

Lord Jesus, you take pity on the crowd,
you teach them and feed them:
Lord, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, you are the prophet who has come into the world:
Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, You are the bread of life:
Lord, have mercy.

Opening Prayer

Option A
O God, you open wide your hand,
giving us food in due season.
Out of your abundance,
satisfy the hungers of body and soul
and lead all peoples of the earth
to the feast of the world to come.

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
In this celebration, Lord God,
you call us together to share with one another
the living bread that has come down from heaven.

Sustain with your word and food,
all whom you have called to one hope,
so that every hunger of body and spirit may be satisfied.

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

P     Instead of the usual CREDO here is a possible alternative for today.
       [People are invited to slowly read the text from the Screen]

Affirmation of Faith adapted from 1 Cor. 8:6; 12, 13 -
a parallel to our 2nd Reading taken from Ephesians.

There is one God and Father:
from him all things come.

There is one Lord Jesus Christ:
through him we come to God.

There is one Holy Spirit:
in him we are baptized into one body.

We believe and trust in one God:
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. AMEN.

PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL

P       We turn to God our Father who gives us our daily bread and satisfies our every need.

             With confidence we pray:

CM     Lord, teach us to share. (Please repeat)

1. For the Christian churches: (pause)
   that they may spread the light of care and compassion
   in a world of selfishness and greed:
   We pray:
   
2. For the leaders of nations: (pause)
   that the vast amounts of money being spent
   on armaments be used instead to feed the hungry:
   we pray:
   
3. That institutions like the World Trade Organization
   would commit themselves to changing the unjust system
   which creates starvation in poor nations:
   we pray:
4. That all who are united by sharing one Lord,
   one faith, one baptism may also be gathered
   in unity and fed by Jesus with the one bread of life:
   we pray:
5. That those who hunger in body or spirit for life's necessities
   may be fed by those who have become disciples of Jesus:
   we pray:
   

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

P     Loving Father, hear the prayers of your people.
       Open your hearts to the cries of our brothers and sisters
       who hunger and thirst for your Word and the Bread of life.
       Grant this through Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Prayer over the Gifts

Provident Father,
from the very little that we have,
we present to you these gifts of bread and wine.
In these signs your Son Jesus comes among us.
May he satisfy our hunger
and quench our thirst
for a deeper faith and hope and love.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, the Lord. AMEN.

Invitation to the Lord’s Prayer

Option A
United in one faith and one baptism,
let us pray through the Holy Spirit to God, the Father of all,
in the words of Jesus:
Our Father ...

Option B
With trust in God who nourishes us,
we now pray as Jesus taught us:
Our Father ...

Deliver us Lord  

Deliver us, Lord, from every evil.
In your mercy keep us free from greed
that closes our hearts to your command
that we share your gifts and respond to the needs of others.
Give us bread that does not perish
as we go forward in joyful hope
toward the coming in glory of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Prayer for Peace

Lord, Jesus Christ, you said to your apostles:
"My peace I leave you; my peace I give you."
Look with pity on our world torn asunder by war,
hunger, and unfair trade practices.
Grant that all of God's children
may enjoy the peace and unity of your kingdom,
where you live for ever and ever. AMEN

Exchange of Peace
We preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds us together.
So let us exchange a sign of peace.

Optional Prayer to accompany the ‘Breaking of Bread’

P      On a hillside in Galilee,
        Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it,
        and gave it to the hungry crowd.
        We, in like manner,
        break the bread of the Lord
        as a sign of our desire
        to share in the Father's heavenly banquet.

A     LAMB OF GOD.....

Invitation to Communion

Option A
Behold Jesus who provides for our needs.
Blessed are we who are invited to his holy banquet.
Lord, I am not worthy…

Option B
This is Jesus who multiplied bread for the hungry.
Blessed are we to be invited to share in the Bread of Life.
Lord, I am not worthy…

Prayer after Communion   

Lord God and Father of all,
we have been refreshed with the one bread
by which you continue to renew the human family.
For we are one body, united in one faith and one baptism.
Help us to lead lives worthy of the mission
to which we have been called,
making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit
in the bond of peace.
We ask all this through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Solemn Blessing

May God give you humility and gentleness. AMEN.

May you have patience to bear with one another in love. AMEN.

May you be bound together in peace and unity through the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

And may the blessings of our loving God,
+ Father, Son and Spirit,
come down upon you and remain with you for ever. AMEN.

Dismissal     

Option A
Go and share God's love and God's gifts with one another.
Thanks be to God.

Option B
In the strength of the living bread that Christ has given us,
go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.