God our Father,
we give you thanks for offering us this new time when everything begins,
this new time when your Word comes to us in all its freshness and light
to be sown in the furrows of our lands ploughed by expectation…
May this new time be for each and every one of us,
a time of grace in which we learn to love in deed and truth,
through Jesus who came, who comes and who will come.
Blessed be You, Lord our God, for gathering us together to listen to Your Word.
Grant us the grace to empty ourselves, to come to You in poverty,like so many watchers before us, like Mary and the people of expectation.
Let us hear, amid our noise and worn-out words, the Word that brings peace, that comforts the afflicted, that feeds the hungry and frees the prisoner.
To hear your Word, open the ears of our hearts and prepare us to meet you in Jesus, your Word who comes into the world.
Maranatha! Come, Lord!
Remember, Lord, and help us to remember those who have nothing before them but dry earth, grey walls or a battlefield.
Remember, Lord, those who have nothing around them but shoulders that turn away, eyes that look away, hands that withdraw.
Give us, Lord, the strength to remember those who wander, those who call out, those who stray from the path.
Grant us, Lord, to remember those who wander, those who call out, those who stray
from the path.
Remember, Lord, those who have been seduced by violence and have become
perpetrators themselves.
Grant us, Lord, to remember that we are one humanity, each responsible for
all, all concerned with the future of each.
Remember, Lord, and help us to remember those who have nothing before them but dry earth, grey walls or a battlefield.
Remember, Lord, those who have nothing around them but shoulders that turn away, eyes that look away, hands that withdraw.
Give us, Lord, the strength to remember those who wander, those who call out, those who stray from the path.
Grant us, Lord, to remember those who wander, those who call out, those who stray
from the path.
Remember, Lord, those who have been seduced by violence and have become
perpetrators themselves.
Grant us, Lord, to remember that we are one humanity, each responsible for
all, all concerned with the future of each.
At the crossroads of our lives, you wait for us to invite us to choose life.
Lord, teach us to discern the paths of life just for today.
Open our minds to your discreet presence, when so many worries and
overwhelming news dominate our attention and dull our vigilance.
Touch our eyes so that they may see beyond the appearance of people and events.
Lighten our hearts of everything that binds us to ourselves, to our comfort, to our own interests,
and which stifles joy.
Grant us the grace to accept your invitation to love one another and to contribute to the happiness
that you desire for all living beings.
Lord Jesus, amazed by the world, by events, by our brothers and sisters in daily life, we ask you to teach us to look at the world with that sympathy which makes us open to admiration and ready for compassion. You who love every person with the heart of God your Father and our Father in the communion of the Spirit, today and for eternity.
Lord,
we have never seen your face and we are but passers-by on our earth.
And from our poverty spring forth our cries of wonder,
our songs of gratitude for your Name, beyond all Names.
No one is loved as they deserve, except by you, Lord.
Share with us your view of the humble realities of our daily lives and let us feel your
quivering that probes the depths of the human heart, and we bless you for it.
In our lives, ploughed by time,
you have discreetly placed a rare pearl with fiery reflections.
But why have you placed such a treasure in such a fragile earthen vessel?
You have chosen to make your home there so that one day only your face will appear.
We bless you.
Lord our God,it is your goodness that awakens us to life and invites us to live this day as a new beginning.Yes, may our relationships be renewed by your trust in us and may we respond by passionately seeking all that promotes reconciliation and peace, for Jesus’ sake and in his Name…
You have made known to us, O our God, what you expect of us,nothing other than to do justice, love kindness, and walk faithfully with you.
We pray, give us a whole heart!
Where concern for appearances prevents any true encounterfree us from our pride.
We pray, give us a whole heart!
Where the power of weapons takes precedence over human life,free us from our tyrannies.
We pray, give us a whole heart!
Where poverty dehumanises and erodes the hope of entire populations,free us from our indifference.
We pray, give us a whole heart!
Jesus Lord,
perhaps it would have been simpler to be servants…
servants have set hours, they have ‘limited responsibility’
whether they are useful or not is up to their employer.
But you did not call us servants
you dared to call us your friends
and that changed everything.
A friend is a full-time job.
We share our wildest hopes with our friends,
our deepest sorrows, our doubts, and our plans.
Friendship has nothing to do with usefulness.
Friendship can only exist freely.
It is a pure gift.
And that is why we come to praise you tonight,
freely, for the joy of a friend’s presence to a friend…
Blessed be you, Jesus, for daring to do this crazy thing: taking us as your friends…
