MERCY DAY MASS

Hymn: Celebrate God
Penitential Rite

Priest
Let us tell God Our Father that we are sorry for not loving others and for not loving him.

Child 1
Lord Jesus You always pray to the Father. If there were times when we forgot to pray to God Our Father. Lord, Have mercy.

Child 2
Lord Jesus You were obedient to your parents. If there were times when we didn't help our parents at home by not doing our share of work. Christ, have mercy.

Child 3
Lord Jesus You are a friend to all people. If there were times when we didn't show friendship at school by having rows with our friends instead of playing together peacefully. Lord, have mercy.

Priest
When we do these things we are not living the way Jesus asks us to live. Let us tell God we are sorry by saying together the Act of Sorrow. Oh my God! Thank you for loving me..........

Priest
God Our Father, thank you for your love. Help us to love you and others more through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Collect O God, Your mercy is without limit, grant us, following the example and through the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to be the messengers and the servants of Your mercy among men and especially among the poor. May we all live according to your Will and one day arrive rejoicing in your presence. We ask it through Jesus Christ.....

Preparation For The First Reading - Feast of the Nativity

Voice 1 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light.

Voice 2 A light has shone for those who live in a land of deep shadows.

Voice 3 His name? Tell us his name. Speak his name to us.

Voice 4 Wonder Counsellor is his name.

Voice 3 Wonder Counsellor!

All Wonder Counsellor, we welcome you.

Voice 1 First the darkness. Then the light.

Voice 2 Light to drive away the darkness. The light of the world over the darkness of the earth.

Voice 3 His name? Tell us his name. Speak his name to us.

Voice 4 Mighty God is his name.

Voice 3 Mighty God!

All Mighty God, we worship you.

Voice 1 The light of the world is with us.

Voice 2 The light of the world shines out for all of us.

Voice 3 His name? Tell us his name. Speak his name to us.

Voice 4 Prince of Peace is his name.

Voice 3 Prince of Peace!

All Prince of Peace, come into our hearts.

First Reading: A reading from the prophet Isaiah (9:1-7)

The people that walked in darkness has seen a great light; on those who live in a land
of deep shadow a light has shone.

For there is a child born for us, a son given to us. This is the name they give him:
Wonder Counsellor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

The word of the Lord.

Psalm - The Lourdes Magnificat

Hymn - God fills me with love. Alleluia.

Preparation For the Gospel

Interviewer Elizabeth, yourself and Mary are cousins?

Elizabeth Mary and I are cousins. She is younger than I am but we were always very close.

Interviewer Mary came to visit you?

Elizabeth She came to visit me before my son John was born. I was carrying him at the time. It was the sixth month. Mary was also expecting her child. We had a lot to talk about.

Interviewer When you saw Mary, you made a speech.

Elizabeth As soon as I saw her at the door I got carried away. I was filled with a sort of strength. I talked in the way that visionaries or poets do.

Interviewer Did you ever make a speech before?

Elizabeth Never in my life. I really am a woman of few words. As soon as I saw Mary, I began to speak these great utterances of praise in her honour. I talked like a priest or a prophet. I couldn't help it. The words just flowed out of me!

Interviewer What did you say?

Elizabeth I said Mary was chosen by God. I said she was the most blessed of all the blessed women who ever brought honour and glory to God. I said the child in her womb was the Saviour of the world.

Interviewer That great talk, and those great words of honour to Mary. Where did they come from?

Elizabeth It's clear as anything that God had a hand in it. God inspired me to say what I said. It was at God's urging that I said what I said. God wanted Mary to be praised. God picked me to do it. Maybe God wanted her to hear what I said to give her confidence in the great work God had set her apart to do.

Interviewer Has that meeting and those words made any difference to you and Mary?

Elizabeth It has made a difference. I know Mary is close to God, very close; closer maybe than any woman who has ever lived. I always had great respect for Mary, but more so since that happened. But we are cousins. That's a big thing with us. Yes, I must say we have grown closer.

Interviewer Will anything come of those words?

Elizabeth Wait and see. The hand of God is on Mary. God will do great things for her. God's promises to her will be fulfilled. A great day has dawned for our people. Mary's name will be remembered and honoured forever.

Alleluia Blessed is The Virgin Mary
Who bore the Son of the eternal Father

Gospel A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (1:39-56)

Narrator Soon afterwards, Mary got ready and hurried off to a town in the hill country of Judea. She went into Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby moved within her. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and said in a loud voice:

Elizabeth You are the most blessed of all women, and blessed is the child you will bear! Why should this great thing happen to me, that my Lord's mother comes to visit me? For as soon as I heard your greeting, the baby within me jumped with gladness. How happy you are to believe that the Lord's message to you will come true!

Narrator Mary said:

Mary My heart praises the Lord; my soul is glad because of God my Saviour, for he has remembered me, his lowly servant! From now on, all people will call me happy, because of the great things the mighty God has done for me. His name is holy; from one generation to another he shows mercy to those who honour him. He has stretched out his mighty arm and scattered the proud with all their plans. He has brought down mighty kings from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away with empty hands. He has kept the promise he made to our ancestors, and has come to the help of his servant Israel. He has remembered to show mercy to Abraham and to all his descendants forever!

Narrator Mary stayed about three months with Elizabeth and then went back home.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Prayers of the Faithful

1. That God Our Creator will always help us be grateful for the gift of life. Lord, hear us.

2. That God will be with us to help and protect us during the coming school year. Lord, hear us.

3. That God will bless our parents who look after us and care for us. Lord, hear us.

4. That God will give our teachers the gifts they need as they try to teach us what we need to know. Lord, hear us.

5. That God will bless all the pupils in this school and help us all to live in peace and love with one another. Lord, hear us.

6. That God will bless children everywhere, especially those who are in need. Lord, hear us.

Preparation of the gifts - Offertory Procession
Hymn - We Come to You Lord Jesus

Prayer over the gifts

Receive, O Lord, the gifts and the prayers of your faithful people, which we offer today in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary. May they prove pleasing to you, may they obtain for us the help of your mercy. We ask this through Christ, Our Lord.

Prayers Before Holy Communion

Lord Jesus, come to me.
Lord Jesus, give me your love.
Lord Jesus, come to me and give me yourself.
Lord Jesus, friend of children, come to me.
Lord Jesus, you are my Lord and my God.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Communion Antiphon His mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear Him.


Communion Hymns - As I Kneel Before You
Father We Adore You

Prayers After Holy Communion

Lord Jesus, I love and adore you.
You're a special friend to me.
Welcome, Lord Jesus, O welcome!
Thank you for coming to me.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, O thank you
For giving yourself to me.
Make me strong to show your love
Wherever I may be.

I'm ready now, Lord Jesus,
To show how much I care.
I'm ready now to show your love
At home and everywhere.

Be near me Lord Jesus, I ask you to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.
Bless all of us children in your loving care
And bring us to heaven to live with you there.

Post -Communion

O Lord, we have been refreshed by your holy mysteries. We beg You that having celebrated the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary we may deserve, our whole lives long, to feel the fruits of Your mercy. We ask this, through Christ Our Lord.

Principal's Prayer

God our Father, we ask you to continue to care for us, protect us and guide us to become the fully alive Christian people that we were created to become. We entrust all these children created in your image and likeness to your loving caring this coming year. Bless each one of them and their families. Enlighten our teachers to tend each child on their journey of life. May everyone who comes to visit our school experience a warm, welcoming, happy atmosphere here. We ask this in the name of Jesus Your Son. Amen.

Final Blessing

Recessional Hymn - When Creation Was Begun

HYMNS - MERCY DAY MASS