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Christ of the Breadlines
Fritz Eichenberg for the Catholic Worker
Invitation to Worship
Come, let us return to Adonai our God– our God who is gracious and merciful.
O Holy One,+ open my lips.
~And my mouth will proclaim your praise.
Rescue me, O God, my Savior-
~And my tongue shall ring out your goodness!
Morning Hymn for Lent
Forty days and forty nights You spent fasting in the wild;
Forty days and forty nights Tempted, and yet unbeguiled.
Shall we not your vigil share, And from selfish joys abstain,
With you watching, fast in prayer, life and freedom to sustain?
When our greed and selfishness thwart our loving or assail,
Victor in the wilderness, Help us not to swerve or fail.
May your peace and strength be ours That your goodness we may see;
Send us those angelic pow’rs Who acclaimed your victory.
Guard and keep us Savior dear, Ever constant by your side,
that with you we may appear At the-eternal Eastertide. Amen!
Text: GH Smyttan (1822-1870) alt. Tune: HEINLEIN 7.7.7.7.
PSALMODY
Antiphon
Light shall break forth like the dawn, healing shall spring up speedily,
if we loose the bonds of all oppression, share our bread with the hungry,
and keep the fast chosen by Adonai who redeems us.
Psalm 110/111
Happy are those who love God
and delight in the whole of Torah!
Their children shall be blest,
strong and upright in the land.
The households of the just will flourish
their integrity stands firm forever.
A light shines from them for others
for they are generous, merciful and just.
The good lend freely to others
and conduct their affairs with honor.
They never waver from doing what is right
their justice is remembered forever.
They do not fear evil news
with strong hearts they trust in God.
Steadfast and without fear
they will watch the wicked crumble.
Open-handed they share with the poor;
their integrity stands firm forever.
this strength will bring them honor.
But hatred devours the wicked
who grind their teeth and depart;
their hopes all turn to ashes.
Glory to the ONE and to the WORD
and to the BREATH of Love.
As always before
so now and evermore. Amen.
Light shall break forth like the dawn, healing shall spring up speedily,
if we loose the bonds of all oppression, share our bread with the hungry,
and keep the fast chosen by Adonai who redeems us.
READING Exodus 6: 6-8
Say to the Israelites: I am ADONAI. I will free you from the burdens of the Egyptians and will deliver you from their slavery. I will redeem you by my outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God;and you will know that I, ADONAI, am your God who has freed you from the burdens of the Egyptians and I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as your own possession—I, ADONAI!
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Responsory
R. I have seen the plight of my people, *I have heard their cry.
V. I have come to rescue them from that place of oppression * I have heard their cry. V. Glory to the Holy One, and to the Word and to the Breath of Love.
Canticle of Zachariah
Antiphon
I was a stranger and you made me welcome,
naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me,
in prison and you came to see me.
Blessed + be Adonai, the God of Israel,
Who visits this people to set us free
Raising for us a sign of salvation
In the house and family of David.
God promised throughout past ages
In words of holy prophets
To save us from our enemies,
And from the control of our oppressors.
Adonai favored our ancestors
And remembered the sacred covenant.
The pledge to Abraham and Sarah
Is now renewed for us;
That freed from the grip of our foes
We might worship without fear
And be both just and holy
For the rest of our days.
And you, child, called “prophet of the Most High,”
Will go ahead to prepare the way,
By teaching this people of salvation
Through forgiveness of their sins.
For the loving compassion of the Holy One
As the Rising Sun will shine upon us
To illumine the darkness and dispel death’s shadow
To guide our feet on the way of peace.
Glory to the ONE and to the WORD
And to the BREATH of Love!
As always before,
so now and evermore. Amen
I was a stranger and you made me welcome,
naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me,
in prison and you came to see me.
Matthew 25
Meinrad Craighead
Litany of Intercession
When you are hungry and we form task forces to discuss food deserts or proper nutrition for the poor… ~ Forgive us O God.
When you are in prison and we insist on tougher sentencing for crimes and the building of more prisons… ~ Forgive us O God.
When you are naked and we debate the morality of your appearance… ~ Forgive us O God.
When you are sick or injured and we thank God for our own health… ~ Forgive us O God.
When you are homeless and we build mansions for ourselves while preaching the spiritual shelter of the love of God…
~ Forgive us O God.
When you are lonely and we avoid you by promising to pray for you… ~ Forgive us O God.
When we seem so holy, so close to God– but you are still very hungry, and lonely and cold… ~ Forgive us O God.
Prayer of Jesus
Our Father …
Closing Prayer & Blessing
God of Life and Liberation, in his teaching, his parables and his example, Jesus revealed that to live fully as the image of God, each of us is called and gifted to meet the real, practical needs of our sisters and brothers. May our celebration of this holy season rehearse us in living by his values and bring us closer to realizing the freedom, flourishing and fullness of life that your love offers to us and all creation both now and forever. ~Amen.
May the Spirit of God + kindle in our hearts the love of God and neighbor that is the fulfillment of the law. ~Amen
Let us bless the world with peace. ~And give thanks to God.