Liturgy

We gather together as friends this Sunday morning, called by the Lord to forgive each other as quickly as God forgives us.

From the days when the Jewish people wandered in the desert to this very day, God has been ‘food to the hungry’ and ‘meaning to those who lose their way’. We celebrate our Lord’s loving-kindness today.

United with Christians all over the world, we acknowledge one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God as our Father. We worship as one family, and pray for greater charity and love among all the baptised.
• Today is World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly

Our God is like a shepherd who always looks after the flock: the Lord cares for us in all our needs. Even when we are distressed by a new surge of COVID-19, our caring Lord is by our side.

God has blessed us in very many ways: God has showered grace upon us. During today’s gathering, we give thanks to the Lord for all we have received.
• Sunday 11 July marks the 100th anniversary of the Truce that ended the War of Independence in Ireland. Accordingly, today is the National Day of Commemoration of those who died in past wars or on service of the United Nations.

Today we honour the Body and Blood of Christ, the food that sustains us on our pilgrimage through life. Even if in pandemic times we have not received Holy Communion as often as we would have liked, we have learned to appreciate this gift all the more.

We celebrate Trinity Sunday today. The feast gives us an opportunity to reflect on the mystery of God, who creates, redeems and makes us holy.

The Ascension of the Lord is celebrated today, ‘World Communications Day’. As he left his disciples, Jesus sent them out to spread the Good News. This is our task too. We ask for the grace we need.

We gather in the love of God, redeemed in the death and resurrection of Jesus. We are people with a mission, challenged to grow in love each day. We ask God for divine help with this mission, today and during the coming week.

The fourth Sunday of Easter is often called Good Shepherd Sunday, because the readings are about the care we receive from Christ, our true shepherd. We rejoice that this pastoral care continues, in the loving tenderness extended by many Christian women and men today. Today is the day of prayer for vocations.

This Easter morning we gather for a most unusual Easter celebration. Pandemic threatens to overwhelm, yet the Church insistently proclaims: Christ is risen! We still celebrate the central mystery of our faith, the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. He suffered on the cross and died for us, but now he has conquered death and fear! Filled with the spirit of Easter joy, let us proclaim the might and glory of God.