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FIFTEENTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR

‘A sower went out to sow the seed’ … that all God’s People will sow the seed of the Word of God’s Love into the field of the world, and seek with our whole heart the harvest of the Kingdom    

                 [READER]            LORD WE PRAY…          
                 [RESPONSE]     May Your Word grow within us…

‘Some seed fell upon barren ground’ … that politicians and leaders in every theatre of conflict and violence will sow seeds of Peace especially in Ukraine, Sudan and Israel-Palestine; that the nations of the world will work together to bring about a new world of justice and equality for all

                 [READER]            LORD WE PRAY…          
                 [RESPONSE]     May Your Word grow within us…

‘Happy are your ears because they hear’ … we pray that all of us in our parish family will grow in a deeper love for the Word of God, and allow our lives and our parish to be formed by God’s Word: may our lives of love and faith speak silently God’s Word that is Love  

                 [READER]            LORD WE PRAY…          
                 [RESPONSE]     May Your Word grow within us…

‘Some seed fell upon rich soil and produced their crop’ … we pray for all who work the land and produce the food that feeds our nation and every nation – we pray for famine stricken peoples around the world, especially the victims of drought, flood and fire caused by Global Warming

                 [READER]            LORD WE PRAY…          
                 [RESPONSE]     May Your Word grow within us…

‘The lure of riches chokes the seed of the Word’ … that the CAFOD campaign in support of small farmers may convince the World Bank to change their policies and allow small farmers to keep and propagate their own seeds for ‘without seeds, being a farmer is impossible’ 

                 [READER]            LORD WE PRAY…          
                 [RESPONSE]     May Your Word grow within us…

We pray for our young people preparing for Confirmation next Sunday: may they catch the fire of the Holy Spirit, come alive in His Love and know the joy of living for Christ Jesus and the Gospel – may they use their gifts to build a compassionate and contemporary Church and a world of humanity and peace

                 [READER]            LORD WE PRAY…          
                 [RESPONSE]     May Your Word grow within us…

‘Those who hear and understand the Word yield a rich harvest’ … we pray for all suffering from the effects of famine and all caring for them – may they hear God’s Word of Love for them; for …  

for those who have died recently, especially … and all victims of race hatred, war, famine and the refugee journey;

and for all whose anniversaries are at this time: …

                 [READER]            LORD WE PRAY…          
                 [RESPONSE]     May Your Word grow within us…

Mary, Mother of the Word made Flesh, who pondered the Word, open our hearts to the Divine Seed, your Son, sown into creation to bring redemption to all…

                                                      HAIL MARY…

Let us pray in a moment of silence

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FIFTEENTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR

PRIEST:    We celebrate God’s great generosity in sowing so liberally the seed of His Word into our world and into our hearts.  He challenges us to be open soil,  prepared and receptive to welcome the Divine Gift of the Word that is Life.  He further challenges us to become new sowers of the seed of the Word in the field of today’s world.  Let us reflect on our openness to receiving the Word,  and our generosity in sowing the Word.

READER:     For the times we are hard ground,  unyielding and resistant
                          to the Word of God for today’s world,
                          closed to God’s new vision for today’s Church

                                                   LORD HAVE MERCY…

For the times we are shallow soil,  with hollow commitment
                          easily defeated by difficulty and suffering

                                                   CHRIST HAVE MERCY…

For humanity’s sowing of seeds of exploitation and destruction
                          into the soil of our ‘common home’, the Earth;
for causing Global Warming and not acting decisively to heal our planet

                                                   LORD HAVE MERCY…

PRIEST:       May the Father speak His Word
                         of unconditional forgiveness to our hearts;
                         May Jesus the Word set us free for generous love;
                         May the Spirit utter the Word of God’s freedom deep within our being;
                         and bring all Creation  to everlasting life

                                                   AMEN!

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Feast of the Holy & Undivided Trinity

PRIEST: Having for months celebrated the great actions of God in Christ that bring us salvation and life, today we celebrate the being of God: not what God does, but Who God is! Today is a day for gazing with wonder, a day to contemplate the mystery of God Who is Love – always Love, never other than Love! And each one of us, without exception are made in the image and likeness of this God. Today we celebrate that there is such diversity in identity, creating such a profound harmony. So we celebrate who we truly are and all that God wants us to become – a freedom for Love … like God! And yet we know we are not such love! Let us ask for mercy …

READER:             Father, you so loved the world You sent Your Only Son
not to condemn, but to save and to give Life:
Confidently we cry out to you ….  

                                                   LORD HAVE MERCY…

Eternal Word and Son, made flesh in the womb of Mary,
You came home into our humanity to set love free within us:
Confidently we cry out to you ….  

                                                   CHRIST HAVE MERCY…

Holy Spirit, love shared between the Father and the Son,
You are poured out into our hearts,
                                    You flow through our lives into the world to renew the face of the earth
Confidently we cry out to you ….   

                                                      LORD HAVE MERCY…

PRIEST:           May the God whose best name is Love …
                             Be the Father who forgives us, the Brother who redeems us,
                             and the Loving Holy Spirit who gives us a new heart,
                             bringing us and all creation to everlasting life

                                                        AMEN!

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Feast of the Holy & Undivided Trinity

God is perfect Relationship – Love that creates, that both gives and receives, that shares and binds in perfect harmony ….  may the Church everywhere be a living Sacrament of this creative love and unity, that all people might know their true identity and destiny.

                             [reader:]                   GOD OF LOVE
                             [response]              HEAR OUR PRAYER

God is perfect harmony at the heart of creation …. We pray for greater respect and reverence for creation, that we will learn how to live in communion with the Earth,  and harvest it’s resources without polluting and destroying God’s beautiful creation; we pray too for miracles of peace in our war-torn world, especially in Sudan, Ukraine, among the peoples of the Middle East, Cameroon, Mali and Congo

                             [reader:]                   GOD OF LOVE
                             [response]              HEAR OUR PRAYER

God is the community of equality that empowers the poor …. we pray for all people who are denied the basic necessities of life and for all refugees and those seeking safe asylum among us, especially those threatened with transportation to Rwanda: may we safeguard their dignity, made in God’s Image and Likeness; for all political leaders that they will serve not dominate, welcome not reject and always act honestly and with integrity.

                             [reader:]                   GOD OF LOVE
                             [response]              HEAR OUR PRAYER

God is our Life-Giver … we pray for our children Baptised today, those preparing to celebrate their First Eucharist and all our young People journeying towards Confirmation:  may they grow to love Christ more day by day and build with us a loving community of faith, service and witness

                             [reader:]                   GOD OF LOVE
                             [response]              HEAR OUR PRAYER

God is Unity …. we pray for deeper bonds of friendship and unity between the Churches, in the service of the mission of the Gospel; may we also build together a greater ‘Fellowship of Believers’ as people of different world faiths seeking to build a multi-cultural society without discrimination of any kind

                             [reader:]                   GOD OF LOVE
                             [response]              HEAR OUR PRAYER

God is the love that listens, heals and protects … for all medical and care staff and those researching vaccines and treatments for various serious illnesses …. we pray all who are sick and housebound, especially …
for all who have died recently: …, those killed in the Indian train disaster and all killed in the conflicts in Sudan and Ukraine;
and for all whose anniversaries occurs at this time: …

                             [reader:]                   GOD OF LOVE
                             [response]              HEAR OUR PRAYER

Mary, beloved of the Father, dwelling place of the Word made Flesh, overshadowed by the Spirit, pray with us for harmony among all peoples…

                                                                   HAIL MARY… 

Let us pray in silence for a moment.

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FEAST OF PENTECOST

PRIEST: Fifty days ago we celebrated Jesus’ Resurrection – now we celebrate the Power of Resurrection set free to transform the world! Today is not only the birthday of the Church in a ferment of Praise and Mission, it is also the beginnings of a New World, a New Creation, for through the Church and beyond it, the Spirit is recreating the face of the earth!  On this Pentecost day, this day of the Spirit bringing the Church to a new beginning, let us welcome, through the Global Synod we are all engaged in, the Spirit’s mighty wind and love’s fire into our lives and our community so that through forgiveness we will ever grow in holiness.

READER:       The Holy Spirit comes as a mighty wind!
For our fears and timidity, our lack of courage,
                            in witnessing to Jesus and speaking out Gospel Justice! 

                                           LORD HAVE MERCY…

The Holy Spirit comes as flames of fire, fire of Love!
For every denial of love that starves the world of hope;
For every division between Christians that hides the face of Christ 

                                           CHRIST HAVE MERCY…

                                The Holy Spirit gives us a new language of faith and praise!
                               That we might ever speak the language of mercy and forgiveness
Healing and hope to our broken but beautiful world 

                                           LORD HAVE MERCY…

PRIEST:    May the Father set us free to be Children of God;
                      may Jesus enthroned in Glory pour out upon us the Spirit of Love and Mercy;
                     may the Holy Spirit rush through our lives to lead us to new beginnings
                      and bring all the world to everlasting life

                                              AMEN!

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FEAST OF PENTECOST – Day Mass

The Spirit clothes the Church with Divine Love … we pray that the Church, led by Pope Francis, Bishop Declan and the College of Bishops, may unite all peoples, races, classes and cultures in one great human family,  building a universal civilisation of love

            [reader]                   JESUS BREATHE YOUR SPIRIT…
            [response]              Fill us Afresh with Your Love

The Spirit reconciles all peoples of the earth … we pray that men and women of violence everywhere will cease resisting the Spirit that urges peace upon them;  that both citizens and world leaders everywhere will give themselves to the task of building peace – we pray especially for the Ukraine, Sudan, the peoples of the Middle East, Mali and Cameroon

            [reader]                   JESUS BREATHE YOUR SPIRIT…
            [response]              Fill us Afresh with Your Love

The Spirit renews the face of the earth … we pray in this ‘Laudato si’ Week that we will learn to live in harmony and respect for the wonder of creation,  working with God’s creative Spirit to heal our damaged earth and bringing true justice that shares the earth’s abundance with all equally

            [reader]                   JESUS BREATHE YOUR SPIRIT…
            [response]              Fill us Afresh with Your Love

The Spirit showers gifts of ministry and mission upon the People of God… we pray that this Pentecost each one of us will experience a fresh outpouring of the Spirit’s Charismatic Gifts and so give ourselves generously to the work of the Kingdom – we pray that the Church’s Global Synod will free us to listen to the Spirit and build together a ‘New Way of being Church’

            [reader]                   JESUS BREATHE YOUR SPIRIT…
            [response]              Fill us Afresh with Your Love

The Spirit leads us to the heart of our God … we pray for a deepening of the stillness of prayer in our lives, and for the welling up of praise and thankfulness: may we each know how infinitely we are loved by our God who dwells at the centre of our being

            [reader]                   JESUS BREATHE YOUR SPIRIT…
            [response]              Fill us Afresh with Your Love

The Spirit sends us out in mission … we pray for all our Parish community that we will be open to God’s ever-new vision for us, together with diverse Christian brothers and sisters, and work to Proclaim Good News and serve the Kingdom in the Inner City; that the whole Church will act with more courage to live out God’s Option for the Poor and protect the vulnerable

            [reader]                   JESUS BREATHE YOUR SPIRIT…
            [response]              Fill us Afresh with Your Love

The Spirit heals our every wound, enlightens every darkness: we pray for all suffering the wounds of war and poverty and for the sick and hurting of our parish family,  for all suffering from the Covid 19 virus and all who care for them; we pray also for …
the Spirit raises the dead: for all who have died recently, … and all victims of gun and knife crime, and those killed in war, especially in Sudan and Ukraine, both Russian and Ukrainian,
and for all whose anniversaries occur at this time: … and all victims of the Rwandan Genocide

            [reader]                   JESUS BREATHE YOUR SPIRIT…
            [response]              Fill us Afresh with Your Love

Mary of Pentecost,  help us all to open ever wider our hearts to the Spirit as you did …

                                                HAIL MARY…

Let us yield to the Spirit praying within us in a moment of silence…

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FEAST OF PENTECOST – Fruits of the Spirit

[1] THE SPIRIT BRINGS LOVE:

The Scripture says ‘Love is always patient and kind’

O God our Father, may we always be filled with the Spirit of Love. Help us love one another as Jesus loved us. May it be our joy to share your love with all the world, healing every wound and reconciling every division. May this Spirit of Love and Wisdom of Your Kingdom guide our Pope, Francis, and our Bishop, Declan

sung response: Veni Sancte Spiritus [x2]

[2] THE SPIRIT BRINGS JOY:

        The Scripture says ‘…that your joy be complete’

O God our Life-Giver, may the Spirit of Joy be with us always, that joy promised by Jesus to all who follow his Way, that our witness to the Good News may be ever joyful; we pray particularly for all saddened by bereavement, grief, terminal illness or turmoil at this time  – may their sadness be turned to joy by your healing love

sung response: Veni Sancte Spiritus [x2]

[3] THE SPIRIT BRINGS PEACE: The Scripture says ‘My Peace I give you…’

O God the wellspring of our Peace, may the Peace of Christ which surpasses all understanding always be in our hearts, and everywhere in all the world. We pray especially for peace in lands where there is conflict and war – in particular for Ukraine, Sudan, the Holy Land, Syria, Yemen, Mali and the Cameroon 

sung response: Veni Sancte Spiritus [x2]

[4] THE SPIRIT BRINGS PATIENCE:

    The Scripture says ‘We wait for what we do not see in patience’

O God ever patient in waiting upon us, grant us to know when to be patient and long-suffering, and when to share your impatience and love’s anger in the struggles against injustice; may your Spirit teach us right patience as we wait upon your touch, and grant us a patient heart for those we find it hard to love or who have hurt us

[5] THE SPIRIT BRINGS KINDNESS:

      The Scripture says ‘Be kind and tender-hearted to one another’

O God who lavishes us with tender kindness, grant us that Spirit of Kindness that will be ever understanding and forgiving after the example of Jesus who befriended all and forgave without limit, to disciples who betrayed, denied and deserted Him, and to those who nailed him upon the Cross: may kindness be the character of our service, especially in the ministries of Borderlands, the Foodbank and the Parish Office

sung response: Veni Sancte Spiritus [x2]

[6] THE SPIRIT BRINGS GOODNESS:

    The Scripture says ‘Goodness and kindness shall follow me always’

O God of all Goodness, we praise you for your everlasting goodness towards all humanity and our creation. Grant us by your Spirit a hunger for all that is good, gratitude for the goodness in every person and every faith and a heart that listens to the cry of the poor and the cry of the Earth … may your Spirit empower us with action to heal our planet, our ‘common home’ assuring true justice the world’s poor

sung response: Veni Sancte Spiritus [x2]

[7] THE SPIRIT BRINGS TRUST:

        The Scripture says ‘Trust in God and trust in me…’

O God who never leaves us, may your Spirit work in our hearts to bring us to the place of such trust that we will lovingly abandon ourselves into your hands, and offer the gift of trust to one another – may we never disappoint another’s trust in us

sung response: Veni Sancte Spiritus [x2]

[8] THE SPIRIT BRINGS GENTLENESS:

The Scripture says ‘Happy the Gentle, they shall inherit the earth!’

O God of all gentleness, the world is too full of those who act violently and hurt others, even unknowingly. May your Spirit lead us along the paths of gentleness so that you might heal the aggression in our hearts, and by your Spirit’s power we might heal the aggression that wounds our world

sung response: Veni Sancte Spiritus [x2]

[9] THE SPIRIT BRINGS SELF-CONTROL:

 The Scripture says  ‘The Spirit is not timidity, but power, love and self-control’

O God who orders all things for our good and growth, may your Spirit grow in us the self-control that frees spontaneity and freshness in our lives and communities, while enabling us to discern all that will hurt another or ourselves – may we embrace love’s discipline in order to liberate love in each other

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Seventh Sunday of Easter Year A

PRIEST:      A few days ago we celebrated our mission as a Church to proclaim the Good News to all;  in a few days time we shall celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit with the power needed to fulfil our Christ-commissioned task.  Today,  on this World Communication Sunday, we pray for wisdom and courage in using Internet Technology, Social Media and the communications revolution to proclaim the Gospel and to build justice and unity in our world. As we cry out for the Spirit to come and empower us to communicate the Gospel to our generation, let us recognise our need for forgiveness and healing so as to set us free to speak God’s Word with authenticity and integrity to our world…

READER:       For every disunity that wounds Christ’s Body
and damages our witness to his love…

 LORD HAVE MERCY…

                             For every abuse and misuse of the media and the internet,
                             for not caring enough about the newspapers, TV programmes
                           and computer images that are seen and heard in our homes…

 CHRIST HAVE MERCY…

                            For every barrier to the Spirit’s coming
                            that we place in our lives and our community;
                             when we refuse to risk for the Gospel…

 LORD HAVE MERCY…

PRIEST:      May the God of immense love take our failures and sins
                     in his merciful hands
                    and kindle with them a fire of love
                    that will bring healing & peace,  reconciliation
                    and new beginnings to us to our world,
                   leading us all to everlasting life…

                                                AMEN!

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Seventh Sunday of Easter Year A

God speaks His Word to all the world:  that the Spirit of God will come and guide us to harness the Internet and other modern means of Mass Communication to proclaim the Gospel,  the Good News to our world

                    [reader]              HOLY SPIRIT COME…
                    [response:]      SPEAK GOD’S LOVE TO US…

Jesus,  the Truth, is Good News to the Poor:  that the new Technologies of Communication might bring home to all the truth about poverty, and the horror of war and the global threat of climate change; constantly challenging us to act with courage to bring peace and justice to our world as we listen to cries of the poor and the cries of our ‘Common Home’, our planet

                    [reader]              HOLY SPIRIT COME…
                    [response:]      SPEAK GOD’S LOVE TO US…

The Holy Spirit is the divine communication of love which unites us:  giving thanks for the ways that global communication by radio, TV and the Internet nurtured community in the midst of isolation during the Covid emergency, may it also improve our interpersonal communication,  and bring peoples, nations and races together in mutual understanding in the service of peace

                    [reader]              HOLY SPIRIT COME…
                    [response:]      SPEAK GOD’S LOVE TO US…

The Spirit is a Spirit of Justice and Truth: we pray for leaders of Governments and multi-national business – may honesty, openness, wisdom and compassion for the poor, the refugee and our planet be the hall marks of every Administration as we work together for the Common Good of our Common Home

                    [reader]              HOLY SPIRIT COME…
                    [response:]      SPEAK GOD’S LOVE TO US…

The Church is challenged to be the Living Word of God’s life-giving love:  that our parish, responding to Jesus’ prayer for all disciples, will be a House of Prayer, open to the Holy  Spirit of Pentecost empowering us to build among us  a ‘New Way of being Church’   

                    [reader]              HOLY SPIRIT COME…
                    [response:]      SPEAK GOD’S LOVE TO US…

The disciples wait in the Upper Room of Hope and Expectation for the coming of the Spirit’s Fire:  we pray for all the young people of our parish especially those preparing for Confirmation; may we all welcome the Spirit’s renewal of our lives and community, opening ourselves to Gifts of Mission and Ministry …we pray especially for a new beginning for our parish SVP Conference 

                    [reader]              HOLY SPIRIT COME…
                    [response:]      SPEAK GOD’S LOVE TO US…

That our sick and housebound might experience being listened to, embraced in the communion of our love and know they are not alone but one with us: we pray for all suffering life threatening illnesses and for those who care for them; and especially for …
for those who have died recently, especially … and all victims of war, poverty and disease
and for those whose anniversaries are at this time … and and the victims of the Rwandan Genocide

                    [reader]              HOLY SPIRIT COME…
                    [response:]      SPEAK GOD’S LOVE TO US…

Mary of the Upper Room, pray with us for the Renewing Gift of the Spirit…

                                                     HAIL MARY…

Let us wait in silence upon the Spirit…

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Sixth Sunday of Easter Year A

PRIEST:    Today the Word of God begins to point us towards the coming Feast of Pentecost,  speaking as it does of the Spirit, the other Advocate who will stand with us and speak up for us.  Today we mark as a parish the Day of Prayer for Victims and Survivors of Abuse caused in any setting, and especially that within the Church. Too often leaders of the Church have not been advocates, speaking up for those who have been abused by clergy and religious, have not been bearers of the Spirit of Truth! As we approach the great Feast of the Spirit’s Power and Love and as we journey with our young people towards the Sacrament of Confirmation, let us all seek a deeper openness to the Spirit speaking through each other, especially through the wounded and alienated. Let us ask forgiveness for every way that we and the Church resist the Holy Spirit whom seeks to lead us into a ‘New Way of being Church’…

READER:       The Spirit is wisdom …
                            When we are unable to see or listen
                            to the wounded and hurting among us,
and so do not listen to the voice of the Spirit…

                                             LORD HAVE MERCY…

The Spirit is unity …
                             for the times we have served division rather than unity;
                             when we have not tried to reach out to those hurt by the Church
when we too quickly turned away from having
                             the difficult conversations that might have helped.

                                             CHRIST HAVE MERCY…

The Spirit is love …
                              when we have not welcomed gently cared compassionately,
                              or defended courageously those abused, in whatever way,
                               in our communities…

                                             LORD HAVE MERCY…

PRIEST:             May our God who is all love
                               speak his Word of Mercy,
                               breath his Spirit of forgiveness,
                               and send us to be reconciliation and healing
                               for one another and for our world,
                               to bring all to everlasting life…

                                                 AMEN!