Fourth Sunday of the Year B – Holocaust Memorial Mass

PRIEST:  Today, we hear Jesus the Word begin his Ministry of Proclamation and Power in the synagogue; we celebrate Jesus’ authority – the authority of the Word made Flesh, the authority of the Word that is the Action of God. The people of his own time could recognise in their hearts the Truth he spoke – the Word of Truth that could set all free who come to him. His authority led him to confront all the powers of evil that enslaved God’s children. As today we remember the horror of the Holocaust and honour all the martyrs and victims of that evil programme of industrial-scale extermination of Jewish people and culture from Europe, let us allow Jesus to speak the Word of Truth to us this morning, set us free to challenge the powers of evil in ourselves and in our world of today…especially the evil of every form of discrimination and racism.

READER:     When we listen to too many voices for wisdom
and fail to turn to Jesus who is the Word of Truth…

                                          LORD HAVE MERCY…

When we will not confront the evil within us;
when we will not risk the freedom of Christ…

                                          CHRIST HAVE MERCY…

                          When we are too timid to confront the abuse of power
and the evil of anti-semitism, discrimination and racism
that enslaves so many in our world

                                          LORD HAVE MERCY…

PRIEST:       May the Father renew the Divine Image in us;
                          May the Son speak the Word of Forgiveness
                                    that will set us free and deliver our world from all evil;
                          May the Holy Spirit be the compassion and mercy
                                    that enlightens our heart;
                         And may our God bring all humanity and all creation to everlasting life…

                                               AMEN!

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