PRIEST: Today a touch of joy lightens the austerity of our Lenten journey: for we fast and repent only to create more space for Christ’s joy. And what is our joy? On this ‘Mothering Sunday’ we recognise that our deepest joy is to give life to others by our love and our faith. Our joy is to be welcomed home by our Father Who is prodigal in His Love, His Mercy, His Faithfulness to us for us, His acceptance of us: let us not be afraid to return home to His forgiveness…
READER: Sometimes we are afraid to be honest with ourselves;
afraid to face the shadows we find within us
and our need for forgiveness:
that we might trust God’s generous mercy…
LORD HAVE MERCY
Often we can be like the elder brother,
refusing to forgive, to welcome the sinner home;
that our mercy may be like our Father’s…
CHRIST HAVE MERCY
Christ’s forgiveness makes us a New Creation,
summoning us to be ambassadors for Reconciliation:
when as a parish we do not express mutual forgiveness
and fail to offer the healing that flows from divine mercy…
LORD HAVE MERCY
PRIEST: May the Father’s love call us back to ourselves;
may Jesus our redeeming elder brother rejoice
to heal our wanderings;
may the Spirit lighten our hearts with the joy of divine mercy;
and bring us all to everlasting life…
AMEN!