Hymn: Life-Giving Bread, Saving Cup
Refrain
Life-giving Bread, saving Cup, we offer in thanksgiving, O God. Life-giving bread, saving Cup,
we offer as a sign of our love.
Verse
Remember you Church, which sings your praise; perfect it in truth and in love.
And gather your people all together, to praise you until the end of time!
Prayer
Leader:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Let us pray as one:
All:
Good and Gracious God,
We come before you as the community of St. Margaret of Scotland,
united in shared faith to pray a novena for clarity of mind and heart
during this pandemic that causes our coming together
for the Eucharist to be so difficult.
We ask you, O God, for wisdom
as we seek to be one body, the People of God, a Eucharistic people.
Lead us the way we need to go, as our story unfolds before us.
Open our eyes to our shared faith;
open our hearts to pray joyfully.
We make this prayer, filled with hope,
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Reading from Pope Francis’s Gaudete et Exsultate
To be holy does not require being a bishop, a priest or a religious. We are frequently tempted
to think that holiness is only for those who can withdraw from ordinary affairs to spend much
time in prayer. That is not the case. We are all called to be holy by living our lives with love
and by bearing witness in everything we do, wherever we find ourselves. Are you called to
the consecrated life? Be holy by living out your commitment with joy. Are you married? Be
holy by loving and caring for your husband or wife, as Christ does for the Church. Do you
work for a living? Be holy by labouring with integrity and skill in the service of your brothers
and sisters. Are you a parent or grandparent? Be holy by patiently teaching the little ones
how to follow Jesus. Are you in a position of authority? Be holy by working for the common
good and renouncing personal gain.
Response
Leader At dawn, fill us with your merciful love;
All we shall exult and rejoice all our days.
Leader Let your deed be seen by your servants,
All and your glorious power by their children.
Leader Let the favor of the LORD our God be upon us;
All Give success to the work of our hands.
O give success to the work of our hands.
The Word of God from John’s Gospel, 13: 34-35
I give you a new commandment: love one another.
As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.
This is how all will know that you are my disciples,
if you have love for one another.
Petitions
Leader: Christ hears and saves all who hope in him. Let us bring him our needs. That our Catholic spirit will be one that welcomes and invites, we pray…
R. Lord, hear our prayer.
That those who are unable to receive the gift of Eucharist will find ways to be one with the body of Christ in prayer and action, we pray… R.
That our community will survive the separations caused by this pandemic finding ways to stay in touch with one another, we pray… R.
That those who have been called home due of COVID19 will go from death to new life and that the communities they leave behind will know hope and be comforted, we pray. . . R.
For what else shall we pray?
The Lord’s Prayer
Leader As one family, let us pray in the words our Savior taught us:
All Our Father…
Prayer of Saint Margaret of Scotland
Leader: Let us recall our mission as together we pray:
Loving God,
you call your people to holiness
and create among them models of kindness.
We thank you for the life of St. Margaret of Scotland:
a woman of leadership and hope in a confusing world;
a wife and mother excelling in patience, dedication and love;
a teacher supported and inspired by a life of learning;
a generous friend and a loyal servant to the poor and helpless;
a model of Christian faith and constant prayerfulness.
As we build on our faith,
help us to grow rich in the values of St. Margaret:
that faith, hope and love might inspire
our presence in the city and neighborhood,
our relationships with family and friends,
our concern for the education of the young,
our care for the poor and the weak,
our community’s prayer in word and sacrament.
Bless our parish and our school;
let us be a community of love and sharing,
and a source of life and grace
let us be a witness to our neighbors
of your life, your presence and your love.
Through Christ, Our Lord.
Amen.
Until tomorrow when we join in prayer again, may we grow in our Catholic faith,
personally encountering Christ, being spiritually renewed, and witnessing God’s love with joy
in our world. AMEN