Beatitudes

Thanksgiving

It is right to recognize, Father God and our Lord,

that we exist and live

surrounded by permanent signs of your love.

You want all your children to be completely happy;

that is your Kingdom project,

that is your will.

But you have left in our hands

the task of making brothers and sisters happy.

You want that, in your name,

we dedicate ourselves to building humanity;

Teach us to be like You, good Father,

to care for our neighbor,

to look especially out for the poor and marginalized

and help them as much as is in our power.

We want to be unconditional friends to all,

patient, sensitive, and compassionate toward their possible failings.

Joining ourselves now in heart with all your children,

Christians, Muslims, Jews,

believers and non-believers,

feeling them all as our brothers and sisters,

we raise to you this hymn of thanksgiving and praise.

 

Memorial of the Lord’s Supper

Thanks, God of goodness, for your son Jesus,

who gave us the commandment of fraternal love.

Soften, Lord, our hard hearts

so that we may absorb the good news of liberation,

and dream of making the utopia of Jesus a reality,

so that those who are poor now will be happy in the future,

so that those who today suffer hunger and thirst will not suffer anymore,

so that those who feel sad and bitter today may laugh with happiness.

We also want to be happy ourselves,

which is what You want,

but we know there is no other way

to achieve our own happiness

than by trying to make others happy.

Your son has given us an example;

he dedicated his life to sharing happiness.

We now remember his total dedication to the cause.

 

Invocation to the Spirit of God

God and our Father, the life of your son Jesus

has taught us that just as You love us,

just as he loved us,

we must love all human beings

and strive to achieve their happiness.

Jesus was able to see our weakness,

our instinctive selfishness;

that is why he asked you to infuse us with your strong Spirit,

capable of leading us to the human fullness

for which You have created us.

We believe in the word of Jesus; we are sure

that another world, more just and supportive, is possible

in which brotherhood, life, and joy reign.

We want to open ourselves to all who work

in this same noble task,

without caring about their religion or ideology.

May we make the beatitudes of Jesus real,

making the poor less poor

and making the most needy happy.

And now, holy Father, we unite ourselves with all your creation

to toast your greater glory,

in the happy company of your son Jesus.

AMEN.