Opening Prayer
Most Holy God, Keeper of the Vineyard of our lives, You are our saving judge. We live today in the valley of decision. We vacillate between goodness and evil sometimes. But Your judgment is eternal and powerful. You have established us as children of Your Kingdom. In Jesus, You have judged as loved. You saved and embrace us. As You harvest the hills and valleys of our lives, flood us with Your eternal love and warm embrace. Let wine sparkle and flow, delighting our hearts at Your overwhelming presence. Let Your milk quench the deepest hungers of the human spirit. Empower us to help create Your reign by the way we live our lives, Holy One Who dwells within us. Give us the humility to know that we are not saved or chosen because we are born Catholic or Christian. Just as Mary is holy, not simply because she gave You birth, but because she listened to God’s Word and gave it flesh, help us to cooperate with Your saving judgment. We need to be born again, Lord, that Your Word can touch our ears, penetrate our hearts, and transform us that we may transform Your world with justice, humility and love, give flesh to Your Word.
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