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Information: Choose appropriate hymns that reflect the theme of water, as new life, cleansing, etc.
Reading I Genesis 9: 8 - 15
'This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come, of the covenant between
me and you and every living creature with you: I set my bow in the clouds to
serve as a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.'
Reflection
Noah, his family, and the pairs of living creatures on the ark have survived the
great flood that covered the earth. They have finally left the ark and emerged
on dry ground. Now God has placed in the sky a beautiful rainbow as a sign of
the covenant between God and his people. Like a wedding ring, a rainbow is a
sign of faithful love.
Question for Meditation
For you as a Christian, what waters bring life? For many of the world’s people,
water is very scarce and therefore a real luxury. We, however, may enjoy water
in abundance and take it for granted. What will you do to show your respect for
the gift of water during this Lenten season?
Psalm 25
R. Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.
I look to you, God,
to you the one I trust,
let me not be fooled,
let no one laugh at me!
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You
never make fools are the ways I want. teach me to follow you
faithfully for |
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You are the one I
pray to, day in, day out!
God, stay mindful of
your age old compassion,
your age old kindness
and not the rebel life
I led in my youth,
and when you think of me
keep to your kindness
keep to your loving ways.
The justice God is
is the justice God shows
to sinful people,
the justice God uses
to guide the gentle,
to teach the poor to live.
The way of kindness
and truth are ways of God
for those who obey.
To be true to yourself,
forgive me my sins,
I know they are many.
If you respect God,
God will guide your choices.
Your life will go well,
your children own the land.
You can be God’s friend
if you respect the law
God reveals to friends.
I look only to God
to free me from sin.
Take notice of me, God,
be compassionate,
I am hurt and alone.
I am sore with grief.
Take me away from this.
Look at how my sins
trouble me and lift them.
Look at the number
of enemies I have,
treacherous people.
Give me an honesty,
an integrity,
to guard me when I pray.
And free Israel
from her troubles, God!
R/ Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant.
Gospel Mark 1:12 - 15
'This is the time of fulfilment. The kingdom of
God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.'
REFLECTION
'The reign of God is at hand,' he announced in Galilee, and he called people to
get ready for God's reign by reforming their lives. Lent can be for us like a
new day dawning. It is a time for a fresh beginning and a renewal of our
covenant to live as God's people.
QUESTIONS
In what ways do you want Lent to be a new beginning in your life as a Christian?
What will you do to work towards these goals? Who or what might help you to
experience Lent as 'a new day dawning'?
RESPECTING THE GIFT OF WATER
Decide how we might show respect for God's indispensable gift of water during
Lent.
QUIET REFLECTION & SHARING
INTERCESSIONS
R/ Hear us O Lord we pray.
For the Church: that we may follow the lead of the Holy Spirit in reforming our
lives and living the gospel more fully R/
For the grace of humility: that we may not seek to glorify ourselves but rather
offer God glory and honour for all the good that is done R/
For all who gathered here today: that our prayer, fasting and help for the poor
in the coming weeks may create a new springtime of faith in our lives
R/
For all humanity: that we may respect and honour God’s covenant with all living
creatures and strive for better protection of the earth from pollution of air,
land and water R/
For all who are called to the Easter Sacraments: that they may continue to open
their hearts to God and be drawn ever closer to Christ R/
For a greater respect for human life, especially by those who are making
decisions about war R/
OFFERTORY & COMMUNION
Creativity Canon
LEADER
We give you thanks and praise, Source of all Being,for a universe beautiful beyond belief, for a world of possibilities beyond
dreams.
ALL We praise you for things, rocks and trees, lakes and fields,
plants and stars. And we praise you for people who come into our lives
and challenge us to grow and to become more fully human.
LEADER We praise you for our imaginations, for the ability to dream
and conceive of a world in harmony singing your praises.
ALL We sing out to you our thanks and praise, Loving Creator,
because you are a God of creativity. With all your wondrous works
we now joyfully proclaim the words of your prophet Isaiah:
ALL Holy, holy, holy Lord ...
LEADER We praise you, Loving Creator, that you are a God
of dreamers and of visionaries. You allowed Noah to dream of a world
at peace with you, and his dream was fulfilled.
You gave Abraham and Sarah a vision of a new people,
numerous as the stars of heaven, and a nation was formed.
ALL Moses, Miriam and all their people dreamed of freedom,
and you led them to a land flowing with mild and honey.
Through the ages, people have dreamed of seeing you,
and you kept your promise fully by giving us your Son, Jesus.
LEADER We sing your praises, God our Creator,
because of the hope we have been given by your Word, Jesus.
Speaking your wisdom, he has told us that we are your children
destined one day to see you face to face
and live with you in the kingdom of heaven.
He has called us blessed if only we be poor in spirit,
peacemakers, seekers after justice, and merciful toward all people.
ALL We praise you, Source of all Life, because Jesus has given us the Spirit
that we might dream dreams and experience a new hope
in the fullness of life and love.
LEADER We now remember that night when
Jesus shared his visiongiving us proof of his abiding love for us. While he was at supper with his friends,
he took bread, broke it, and gave it to them after the blessing, saying:
Share this bread among you. This is my body, broken for you.
After the meal, he said another blessing over a cup of wine:
Drink from this cup, all of you. This is the new covenant in my blood,
poured out for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you share this meal,
do it in memory of me.
ALL Loving God, gathered around this table, we call to mind
the life Jesus lived among us. We celebrate the death when he accepted
in fidelity to your will and out of love for us. We remember his victory over death
which has made us men and women free to dream. We recall that he returned to you
and sent the Holy Spirit to be our source of strength and courage and vision.
In the spirit of his perfect prayer of love to you, accept this bread
of heaven and cup of salvation.
LEADER We give you thanks and praise, O God, and joyfully proclaim
the great mystery of our faith:
Christ has died,
Christ is risen,
Christ will come again.
ALL Help us to be open that we might receive your Spirit.
May this Holy Spirit be a presence in our lives and form us into
a People of God, a nation of believers who will proclaim to all the world
that everything is possible for those who love you.
We make our prayer through Jesus Christ, your Son.
Through Christ,
with Christ,
in Christ,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all glory and honour is yours,
almighty God,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Adapted from Paul Roy, S.J.
CLOSING RESPONSE:
The child I
was
is crying in
my
lap and I
am
embracing him
I am father
now
of him and
will
not laugh
when
he tells me
he
is afraid
of
his wishes
and
his dreams
the child I
was
is crying in
my
lap and I
am
embracing him
J. Janda, IN EMBRACE
Br. Nick Morris (Rome)