A. The Lord Comes B. Christ Brings Us Hope
Readings: Is 2:1 - 5; Rom 13:11 - 14; Ps 122:1-9; Mt 24:37 - 44
The time has come: you must wake up now: our salvation is near. May the Lord Jesus be with you. R/ And also with you.
Introduction by the Celebrant
A. The Lord Comes
The Lord Comes! He is looking for us. Do we open to him the door of our heart? Do we recognize him when he asks us whether he may enter? Do we know him when we meet him in the street, in our neighbor? Let us ask the Lord in this eucharist that we may love and admit him in the many ways he comes to us.
B. Christ Brings Us Hope
A person of faith is a person of hope. As Christians, we cannot live without dreams, without ideals that inspire us and even make us impatient at times. The message of this First Sunday of Advent tells us about God's dream regarding our world. It is meant to become a world of peace and justice. This will happen when the light of Christ will shine in it. God will write this future only with the help of people. Are we awake and ready to make Christ's light and peace come into this world and change today's world into God's world of tomorrow?
Penitential Act
Let us ask pardon from the Lord for not being attentive to his coming. (PAUSE)
Lord Jesus, you want us to stay awake, for we do not know the day of your coming. Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy. Jesus Christ, you tell us to be watchful, for you want to encounter us with your forgiveness and your love. Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you ask us to stand ready, for you seek to open us to you, to others, and to your light and life. Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Forgive us all our sins, Lord, change our indifference into hope, our cowardice into courage, and lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.
Opening Prayer
A. The Lord Comes
Let us ask God to wake us up from our lackluster lives (PAUSE) God, our hope and our future, through your Son Jesus Christ you are part of our lives and our communities. Make us so much aware of his presence that people may love and encounter him in our discreet but deep love for one another, in our efforts to bring peace to this world, in our commitment to compassion and justice for even the humblest and most neglected. May Jesus inspire and guide us to lead everyone to you, our God forever. R/ Amen.
B. Christ Brings Us Hope
Let us pray that our faith and hope may bring Christ's light to people (PAUSE) Lord, mighty God, once, long ago, your Son Jesus Christ came as God with a human face. And yet, we are still waiting in hope for his full coming today. Make us more aware that you too are waiting for us to create with you among people the peace and the freedom, the love and the justice and light that bear witness before all that your Son is here and is alive and that one day he will take us into the lasting light of your home forever and ever. R/ Amen.
Liturgy of the Word
First Reading Introduction: A Future of Peace and Light
At a time of war and trials, the prophet gives God's people a vision of hope in God's final peace and justice. We have to prepare for this future.
Second Reading Introduction: Wake Up Now!
Paul impresses on us the urgency of waking up and living the life of Christ. The time is now! We are pilgrims to the light of Christ.
Gospel Introduction: Stay Awake!
The Christian life is an active waiting for Christ's continuing coming. The disciples of Christ must always be ready for recognizing the Lord's coming by being faithful to the mission in life given them by Christ.
General Intercessions (Thanks to René Mouret)
Let us be attentive to the call of Jesus our Lord to be awake and to prepare his coming in the Church and the world of today and let us say with hope: R/ Lord of hope, hear our prayer.
- For the Church and its leaders, that they may inspire the Christian community with the firm, indestructible hope that we can build a better world if Christ is alive among us today, let us pray: R/ Lord of hope, hear our prayer.
- For all Christian Churches, that they may respond to God's expectations and proclaim in words and deeds the Lord's message of love and service, let us pray: R/ Lord of hope, hear our prayer.
- For the world in which we live, that all may work together to put an end to war and hatred, oppression and injustice and to seek peace, freedom and justice, let us pray: R/ Lord of hope, hear our prayer.
- For the poor and the suffering, that through us Christ may come to them to visit and uplift the sick, to help the hungry earn their food in dignity, to liberate those unjustly deprived of their freedom, and to bring the good news to those rejected, let us pray: R/ Lord of hope, hear our prayer.
- For all of us here, that we may not be self-satisfied but keep seeking Christ and his light by renewing ourselves and living for those around us, let us pray: R/ Lord of hope, hear our prayer. Lord Jesus Christ, you know that we are incapable of building up a new world without you. Come, stay with us on our pilgrim journey, show us the way and build with us, that we may belong to you and that this world may be yours now and for ever. R/ Amen.
Prayer over the Gifts
Loving God, long ago your Son Jesus came on earth to share our destiny and to bring us your forgiveness and life. Let him come here among us in these signs of bread and wine to be our light and to give us courage, that he may be alive today in us, in our community, in the Church, and in the world as our Lord and Savior for ever. R/ Amen.
Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer
Let us give praise and thanks to the Father, for he has given us hope and life through the coming of his Son Jesus. May this Eucharist give us the strength and love to bring Christ more into the world of today.
Invitation to the Lord's Prayer
As sons and daughters of the Father in heaven, we pray with Jesus, who has freed us from sin, that God's kingdom may come to all: R/ Our Father...
Deliver Us
Deliver us, Lord, from every evil that separates us from you and sets up friend against friend. In the tensions of our day, keep us free from fear and grant us the peace of your Son. Wake us up from our indifference and keep alive in us the hope in the full coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom...
Invitation to Communion
This is Jesus the Lord to whom we pray: Come, Lord Jesus. Come, and satisfy our hunger for goodness, joy, and freedom. Come, and make us the people who make you present in this world. Come, Lord Jesus. R/ Lord, I am not worthy...
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God, you have given us this time and this life to grow up in Christ and lead his life. Make us realize that if he lives in us we can give him to the world, that the cries of the poor will be heard, that your truth and justice will prevail, and that your love and peace can be shared by all on earth as in heaven. Keep alive in us this indestructible hope and guide us on our pilgrim way through Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Blessing
We have met the Lord here in the eucharist. Let us do our very best to bring him also in today's world by sharing his love and justice, his hope and joy with the people around us. The best way to do so will be by living his life as best as we can. Let our life then be the open book in which people can read that the Lord has come. May almighty God bless you, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen. Go in the peace and joy of Christ. R/ Thanks be to God.
