Thanksgiving
We give thanks, God and Lord our,
for being a close and friendly God, a Father God,
who does not want to be feared but loved,
who does not threaten with punishments but is pure promise,
a God who is life and embraces us now and forever.
Therefore it is reasonable and obligatory
that our heart overflows with joy,
that we think of You continuously,
that we always keep You present,
and that our prayer
is a constant and heartfelt thanksgiving.
Today, like all the days of our lives,
we give thanks and bless you
through this hymn of glory.
Memorial of the Last Supper
Thanks, Father, for giving us Jesus.
we have no better words to thank you for it.
Thanks, Father. Jesus is everything to us.
Jesus is our guide to walk through this world
and has taught us a new hierarchy of values.
He only looked at the hearts of people
and never took into account their social or religious label.
He taught us daily that for him
there were no people of higher or lower status,
that we are all equal before God
and no one can be excluded from society.
He has insisted again and again
that we cannot forget those brothers
whom we first impoverished
and then put aside and marginalized.
And at the end of his life, he embodied these ideas in a sign
and invited us to celebrate a meal of brotherhood.
Invocation to the Spirit of God
Remembering all the life of Jesus,
how he endured with steadfastness death on the cross
and how you finally welcomed him in your arms as a son,
we ask you, Holy Father, that you send us your Spirit
so that those of us who form this community gathered here
may know how to contribute our grain of sand
in the building of your Kingdom.
Banish from our lives, Father God,
pride, envy, wrath and all evil,
and help us to be good, simple, accessible, sincere.
We want to be kind, understanding and helpful.
No one, in our community,
should feel marginalized or of inferior status.
We want to make happy those around us
and also those who are far but need us.
Following now the model of prayer of Jesus,
we are going to bless your name, holy God and our Father,
and to wish that your plan over this world becomes real,
we are going to promise you our best will
so that bread and water are distributed with fairness
and we know how to forgive each other and live together in peace.
We will ask you for the strength of your spirit to struggle each day
to do good and keep evil away from our lives.
We trust in You, do not let go of our hand, Father God.
AMEN
Rafael Calvo