Fast from negatives; feast on affirmatives.
Leader: Gathering God, our rock & shelter,
All: We are here to meet with you.
Leader: Travelling God, our way & wonder,
All: We are here to meet with you.
Leader: Summoning God, our joy & adventure,
All: We are here to meet with you.
Please join the hymn if you wish. (You are Mine. David Haas. Tr 4)
Refrain: Deep within, I will plant my law, not on stone, but in your heart.
Follow me; I will bring you back. You will be my own, and I will be your God.
I will give you a new heart, a new spirit within you, for I will be your strength. (Refrain)
Return to me, with all your heart, and I will bring you back. (Refrain)
Please sing the psalm with its antiphon as indicated.
Cantors: The Lord is my love and my refuge;
In him I place my trust.
Side 1: Give to your leaders good judgment, O God,
And do right for those who are powerless.
Side 2: May the mountains bring peace for the people,
And the hills bring forth justice.
Side 1: May they defend the poor among the people,
Save the children of those who are needy, & crush the oppressor.
Side 2: May your people endure as long as the sun,
Like the moon through all generations;
Side 1: Like the rains that fall on the early crops,
Like the showers that water the earth.
Side 2: May justice flower in their days,
And peace till the moon is no more.
Side 1: May they rule from sea to sea,
And from the river to the ends of the earth.
Side 2: May they rescue the needy when they cry out,
And the poor when they have no-one to help them.
Side 1: May they have pity on the weak & the powerless;
May they save the lives of the poor.
Side 2: May they redeem them from oppression & violence,
And regard their blood as precious.
All: Glory be to the Father and to the Son
And to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be,
World without end, Amen.
All: The Lord is my love and my refuge;
In him I place my trust.
A Canticle for Lent – please say the canticle as indicated.
All: Gratitude for the love that floods our inmost hearts.
Reader 1: Gratitude for the love that accepts us whatever.
Gratitude for the love that brings peace out of strife.
Gratitude for the love that loosens the grip of evil.
All: Gratitude for the love that floods our inmost hearts.
Reader 2: Gratitude for the love that binds us together for ever.
Gratitude for the love that never ceases to forgive.
Gratitude for the love that enfolds with gentleness.
All: Gratitude for the love that floods our inmost hearts.
Reader 1: Gratitude for the love that endures the suffering.
Gratitude for the love that trusts.
All: Gratitude for the love that floods our inmost hearts.
All: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end, Amen.
All: Gratitude for the love that floods our inmost hearts.
Reading (Jeremiah 17) followed by a period of silence.
Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? ‘’ I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.” Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay are those who gain riches by unjust means. Lord, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water. Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise. They keep saying to me, “Where is the word of the Lord? Let it now be fulfilled!”
Please sing the Magnificat as indicated:
Cantors: The rich man who would not give a crust of bread to Lazarus,
Begged for a drop of water.
Side 1: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour
Side 2: For he has looked with favour on his lowly handmaid,
And from this day all generations will call me blessed.
Side 1: The Almighty has done great things for me:
Holy is his name.
Side 2: He has mercy on those who fear him
In every generation.
Side 1: He has shown the strength of his arm;
He has scattered the proud in their conceit.
Side 2: He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
And has lifted up the lowly.
Side 1: He has filled the hungry with good things,
And has sent the rich away empty.
Side 2: He has come to the help of his servant Israel,
For he has remembered his promise of mercy.
Side 1: The promise he made to our fathers,
To Abraham and his children for ever.
All: Give praise to the Father Almighty,
To his Son Jesus Christ our Lord,
To the Spirit who dwells in our hearts,
Both now and for ever, Amen.
All: The rich man who would not give a crust of bread to Lazarus,
Begged for a drop of water.
Intercessions:
Reader: Loving God, we hold in your healing presence those who
suffer physical pain & ill-health, with their families,
friends & those who care for them ….. mention any
names & then silent prayer for them ……
Reader: Loving God, we hold in your healing presence those
who suffer in mind or spirit….. mention any names &
then silent prayer for them ……
Reader: Loving God, we hold in your healing presence the
suffering people of our world, & the places where
people are experiencing division, injustice and violence
….. mention any names & then silent prayer for people
& places ……
Reader: Loving God, we hold in your healing presence those
struggling to overcome addition or abuse, those
supporting & working with them, & all those whose
suffering has distanced them from those they love…..
mention any names & then silent prayer for them ……
Reader: We pray for people who have died today & for those
who will die tonight. We also remember in prayer
those people whose anniversaries of death occur
tomorrow, remembering especially:
Pause for people to add silently or aloud any further intentions.
Leader begins the Our Father.
Leader: Eternal God, out of your great generosity you brought the world into being & gave it life. Then you gave it yourself, on the cross of human suffering. We ask your perseverance as we move on through this time of focus on your generosity. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.
All: Amen.
Leader: Blessing to us, O God, & to the earth beneath our feet. Blessing to us, O God, & to the path that we take. Blessing to us, O God, & to the people we meet.
All: Amen.
Let us reflect on our day as we listen to some meditative music.