Leader: As we gather together in this sacred place, may
we recognise & affirm: the possibilities & the
gifts that we bring, allowing them to weave a
patchwork of peace.
All: Thanks be to God for the presence of each
other & for God’s presence amongst us.
Please join in singing St Patrick’s Breastplate.
Christ be beside me; Christ be before me,
Christ be behind me, King of my heart;
Christ be within me, Christ be below me,
Christ be above me never to part.
Christ on my right hand, Christ on my left hand,
Christ all around me, shield in the strife;
Christ in my sleeping, Christ in my sitting,
Christ in my rising, light of my life.
Christ be in all hearts thinking about me,
Christ be in all tongues telling of me;
Christ be the vision in eyes that see me,
In ears that hear me, Christ ever be.
Please sing the psalm as indicated.
Cantors: The bodies of the saints have been buried in peace,
And their names live on for all generations.
Side 1: You have heard. 0 God, the strains of my distress,
Even the silent crying of my heart.
Side 2: I love you because your ear inclined to me,
I know you were there for me in the day of my trouble.
Side 1: The cords of death entangled me:
The snares of the grave held me fast.
Side 2: Tentacles wrapped themselves round me,
Crushing me to anguish & pain.
Side 1: Desperate for air I called out:
Help me. Deliver me. Rescue me.
Side 2: My strength is sapped, my energy draining away.
With my last breath I cried out in panic.
Side 1: In your healing compassion you came to me,
With the kiss of life reviving me.
Side 2: At my very last gasp you held me,
You snatched me from the jaws of the grave.
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 bodies of the saints have been buried in peace,
And their name lives on for all generations.
After saying the antiphon together we will listen to, or join in with,
Michael Joncas’s setting of psalm 115. (S the Ps 2 B6).
Refrain: A blessing cup is a communion with the blood of Christ. (x2)
How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up & I will call on the name of the Lord. (Refrain)
Every time you eat of this bread, every time you drink of this cup,
You proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes, until he comes. (Refrain)
Reading: Pope Francis – The Church of Mercy.
As believers peace is our responsibility. To pray for peace, to work for peace. True believers will always be people of peace. Dialogue is crucial for peace – dialogue gives us courage, gives us hope. Hope, not optimism! We find it difficult to go beyond the narrow horizon of our own interests which makes true dialogue difficult. Peace requires a persistent, patient, strong, intelligent dialogue by which nothing is lost. Its fruits are understanding, harmony, concord & peace. We are called to cooperate in building peace – be it peace between family members, neighbours, or nations. Each of us is called to be an artisan of peace, by uniting & not dividing, by extinguishing hatred, by opening paths to dialogue & not constructing new walls – encouraging a culture of encounter.
Silent or shared reflection.
Please say the Magnificat as indicated.
All: The saints who followed in the footsteps of Christ rejoice
in heaven. They gave their life for love of Christ;
therefore they will reign with him for ever.
Side 1: I acclaim the greatness of the Lord, I delight in God, my
saviour, who regarded my humble state. Truly from this
day on all ages will call me blest.
Side 2: For God, wonderful in power, has used that strength
for me. Holy the name of the Lord! Whose mercy
embraces the faithful, one generation to the next.
Side 1: The mighty arm of God scatters the proud in their conceit,
pulls tyrants from their thrones, & raises up the humble.
The Lord fills the starving & lets the rich go hungry.
Side 2: God rescues lowly Israel, recalling the promise of
mercy, the promise made to our ancestors, to Abraham
& Sarah’s heirs forever.
All: Glory be to the Father & to the Son & to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now & ever shall be, world
without end, Amen .
All: The saints who followed in the footsteps of Christ rejoice
in heaven. They gave their life for love of Christ;
therefore they will reign with him for ever.
Intercessions:
Reader: We give thanks for people of integrity…..pause…..
we say,
All: God of Integrity, hear our prayer.
Reader: We ask to be people of integrity….. pause….. we
say,
All: God of Integrity, hear our prayer.
Reader: At the same time as praying for Catholic martyrs
we pray for all who have died on account of their
beliefs especially those martyred by Roman
Catholics….. pause….. we say,
All: God of Integrity, hear our prayer.
Reader: We pray for those being discriminated against on
account of their faith in our day….. pause….. we
say,
All: God of Integrity, hear our prayer.
Reader: We pray for people who have died today & those
who will die tonight. We also remember those
whose anniversaries occur tomorrow, remembering
especially:
Pause for people to add silently or aloud any intentions.
Leader begins the Our Father …..
Leader: Almighty ever-living God, true faith is tested to
the full in martyrdom. Strengthen our faith by
the prayers of the martyrs Thomas More & John
Fisher, so that our lives may bear witness to the
faith we profess. 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: May the God who shakes heaven & earth, whom
death could not contain, who lives to disturb &
heal, bless us with power to go forth & live his
gospel, & may almighty God bless us – the Father
Son and Holy Spirit.
All: Amen.