Greeting
May the peace of the risen Lord
which drives away all fear
be with you all.
Introduction and Litany of Praise
A In today’s Gospel we find the apostles gathered together, wounded in heart and in spirit. But Jesus appears to them and gives them his peace. He does the same for us today. Let us open ourselves to understand the scriptures and be ready to receive the peace he gives to each of us.
(pause)
Lord Jesus, you banish our doubts with the gift of faith:
Lord, have mercy.
You calm our fears with the gift of peace:
Christ, have mercy.
You heal our wounds with your gift of love:
Lord, have mercy.
B In today’s Gospel we hear how Jesus appeared to his disciples to calm their fears and assure them of his presence. In the Eucharist, the same Lord does the same for us as he accompanies us in our journey of faith. (pause)
Lord Jesus, you are the Messiah who had to suffer and rise from the dead for the forgiveness of our sins:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, the law, the prophets, and the psalms
find their fulfillment in you:
Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you open our minds to understand the Scriptures:
Lord, have mercy.
Opening Prayer
God of Abraham and Sarah,
God of Isaac and Rebecca,
God of Jacob and Rachel
God of all our ancestors in faith,
you fulfilled your promise of old
that your Christ would suffer
and so rise to glory.
Open our minds to understand the Scriptures
and fill us with joyful wonder in the presence of the risen Christ,
that we may be his witnesses
to the ends of the earth.
We ask this through Jesus Christ,
the first-born from the dead,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever. AMEN.
GENERAL INTERCESSIONS
P To the God of our ancestors who has glorified his servant Jesus, let us pray not only for our own needs but also those of the whole world.
CM Let our response be: Stay with us, Lord.
- For the countries of the world, particularly for our own land; (pause) that God will continue to raise up men and women who will nurture what is good, and oppose what is evil. We pray:
- For all Christians: (pause) that they may be real witnesses to the truth of the Resurrection …. preaching the Gospel by their words and deeds. We pray:
- For peace in the world, especially in __________ and _____________ and those parts of the world where violence and war have become a part of daily life. We pray:
- For the power to forgive those who have wronged us and the grace never to hold grudges. We pray:
[The Presider may add a petition that is local / relevant]
P Lord Jesus, do not walk ahead of us, we may not follow; do not walk behind us, we may not lead; just walk beside us and be our friend. We make our prayers to the Father through you, Christ our Lord. AMEN.
Prayer over the Gifts
God of our ancestors,
we celebrate with bread and wine
the presence of your Son in our midst
around this altar-table.
May we experience him here as your great gift to us
so that we may live as people free from fear and sin.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. AMEN.
Intro to the Our Father
The Lord Jesus is our Advocate with the Father.
Let us now speak to the Father in the words that Jesus gave us:
Deliver Us
Deliver us, Lord, from every evil,
and grant to us in our day
the peace which your risen Son brought to his disciples.
In your mercy help us overcome our fears and doubts
as we wait for the day of his coming in glory
as our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Prayer for Peace
Lord Jesus Christ,
on the first Easter evening
you appeared to your frightened disciples
and said to them:
‘Peace be with you.’
Then you showed them your wounded hands and feet,
and they were filled with joy.
Grant that we who have heard the message of Easter,
may be filled with the peace and joy of your kingdom
where you live for ever and ever.
May the peace which Christ brought to his apostles
be with you always.
Exchange of Peace
Jesus is with us now as he was with the disciples;
so let us great each other with his words, “Peace be with you.”
Optional prayer to accompany the ‘Breaking of Bread’
When Jesus was at table with them,
he took the bread and blessed and broke it,
and gave it to them.
And their eyes were opened
and they recognized him
in the breaking of the bread. (Luke 24:30-31)
Invitation to Communion
This is Jesus, the Crucified and Risen Lord.
It is he we love without touching or seeing.
Blessed are we who can recognize in this bread
the body of Christ.
Prayer after Communion
God of our ancestors,
we thank you for Jesus, the Christ,
whom you raised from the dead.
He has opened our minds to understand the scriptures;
he has made himself known to us in the breaking of bread.
May he live on in us
blessing our feeble efforts to create a better world
where there is justice and hope for all.
Grant this through Christ, your Son, our Lord. AMEN.
Solemn Blessing
Through the resurrection of his Son,
God has saved you and made you adopted children.
May God bless you with joy. AMEN.
The Redeemer has given you lasting freedom.
May you inherit his everlasting life. AMEN.
By faith, you rose with him in baptism.
May your lives be holy,
so that you will be united with him forever. AMEN.
May the God of life and love bless you,
+ Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. AMEN.
Dismissal
Our Mass is ended.
Go and be witnesses of the risen Christ
by your loving service to one another.
Contemporary Liturgy 