PRIEST: On this first day of the New Year, the Church celebrates Mary the Bearer of God to the world. We look to the first and greatest disciple as we are about to embark on making this year truly the Year of Our Lord 2019. We commend all that is past into the Mercy of God, all that is present into the Love of God and all that is the future into the Providence of God, and journey ahead in faith and trust in the God who leads us.
READER: Mary said ‘Yes’ to God with her whole being holding
nothing back:
For the weakness of our ‘yeses’ and
the strength of our ‘no’s’
LORD HAVE MERCY
Mary pondered and treasured the Word she carried in
her heart
so that she could treasure the Word enfleshed in her
womb:
for so often taking the wonder of the Word for granted
CHRIST HAVE MERCY
Mary embraced an unknown future for the sake of the
Kingdom
trusting that the promises of God would be fulfilled;
for our fears of God’s unknown, failing to trust that
God is Love
LORD HAVE MERCY
PRIEST: May the Father strengthen our ‘yes’ with His forgiving
mercy;
May the Word be enfleshed in our lives with the healing of
forgiveness;
May the Spirit carry us forward into God’s Future of
Reconciliation
To bring all the world to everlasting life…
AMEN!