PRIEST: On this first day of the New Year and a New Decade, 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 2020. 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!