PRIEST: Today we gather around the Table of the Word and the Table of the Eucharist – at least some of our community can – for the first time in over three months. We bring with us all we have experienced during this difficult and times tragic time of lockdown. We grieve those who have died during this period and want to comfort their families with our love and prayer. And we celebrate today the strong gentleness of our Christ, who joyfully comes humble and vulnerable among the humiliated and powerless. He comes to give new value to our lives, to cast out all fear of God from our hearts and to heal our wounds with His peace. He comes to share our burdens. Let us give him the burdens of these past months, as well as the burden of our sin, trusting that his loving mercy might make it light for us.
READER: For every abuse of power, in our lives, our Church and our world;
for using power to dominate rather than to serve
LORD HAVE MERCY
For ignoring the welfare of others, for not sharing their burdens
but pursuing our own ambitions, desires and self-interest
CHRIST HAVE MERCY
For being afraid to let people be true to themselves,
for rejecting those who do not conform to our ideas or wishes
LORD HAVE MERCY
PRIEST: May the Father of all mercy forgive us,
may His Son, Jesus, give us His peace,
may the Holy Spirit lead us along the gentle paths of God,
and bring us all to everlasting life…
AMEN!