Leader

The bishops of Australia have invited us to celebrate a Year of Grace from this Pentecost until next Pentecost. During this coming year we will ‘start afresh from Christ’. We will focus on Christ and draw our life and inspiration from him. Let us begin this Year of Grace by praying together.

O PENING P RAYER All: Loving God, pour your grace over the whole earth and fill our hearts with love for Jesus Christ, your Son.

May we find in him our way, our truth and our life.

O PENING P RAYER All: May we see in his face a reflection of what we are called to be: Your sons and daughters, filled with grace and truth. We make our prayer with confidence in your love, through Christ, our Lord.

Amen.

F IRST R EADING

Ephesians 2: 8

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.

The Word of the Lord

All: Thanks be to God

R

ESPONSORIAL

P

SALM

Leader: All:

Hope in the Lord forever

Hope in the Lord forever

Ps 5: 11–12

Reader:

All:

O Lord, my heart is not lifted up, my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvellous for me.

Hope in the Lord forever

Reader:

All:

But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; my soul is like the weaned child that is with me.

Hope in the Lord forever

Reader:

All:

O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time on and for evermore.

Hope in the Lord forever

G OSPEL A CCLAMATION Alleluia, Alleluia!

Open our hearts, O Lord, to listen to the words of Your Son.

Alleluia.

G

OSPEL

John 1: 14–15, 16–18

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. … From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.

Reader: The Gospel of the Lord

All: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

Leader: Reader:

All: G

ENERAL

I

NTERCESSIONS

All grace flows from God. Let us now turn to God, confident that our prayers will be answered.

We pray that in all we do we may start afresh from Jesus Christ, contemplating his face and learning from his teachings. Lord, hear us.

Let the light of your face shine on us.

G

ENERAL

I

NTERCESSIONS

Reader:

All:

We pray that all Australians may become more deeply aware of the grace of God in their lives. Lord, hear us.

Let the light of your face shine on us.

G

ENERAL

I

NTERCESSIONS

Reader:

All:

We pray that we will grow as disciples of Jesus during this Year of Grace. Lord, hear us.

Let the light of your face shine on us.

Leader:

All: G

ENERAL

I

NTERCESSIONS

O God, transform the Church in Australia by the power of your grace. We make these prayers with confidence in you, through Christ our Lord.

Amen

Y EAR OF L IGHTING OF THE G RACE C ANDLE

Leader: As we light the Year of Grace candle, we gaze at its light which is a sign of Christ’s presence among us.

Let us pray in silence for a few moments.

[silent prayer]

P RAYER FOR THE Y EAR OF G RACE

Leader:

All:

Gracious God, You have blessed this ancient land with many gifts, especially its people.

We thank you for the Year of Grace, a time to start afresh from Christ.

Leader: You invite us to contemplate the face of Jesus your Son, that we may experience a new wave of grace, and that the light of Christ may burn more brightly in our lives.

All: Attune our hearts and minds to the presence of your Holy Spirit, that our Church may be transformed, our relationships be healed, and our nation grow in compassion and justice.

Leader: With the intercession of St Mary MacKillop, who showed us new ways of living the Gospel, we make our prayer through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Leader: Mary, Help of Christians,

All: Pray for us.

H

YMN

:

Shine, Jesus, Shine

Lord, the light of your love is shining, in the midst of the darkness shining; Jesus, light of the world, shine upon us, set us free by the truth you now bring us.

Shine on me, shine on me.

Shine, Jesus, shine; fill this land with the Father’s glory; blaze, Spirit, blaze, set our hearts on fire.

Flow, river, flow; flood the nations with grace and mercy; Send forth your word, Lord, and let there be light.

Lord, I come to your awesome presence, from the shadows into your radiance; by the blood I may enter your brightness, search me, try me, consume all my darkness.

Shine on me, shine on me.

Shine, Jesus, shine; fill this land with the Father’s glory; blaze, Spirit, blaze, set our hearts on fire.

Flow, river, flow; flood the nations with grace and mercy; Send forth your word, Lord, and let there be light.

As we gaze on your kingly brightness, so our faces display your likeness, ever changing from glory to glory; mirrored here may our lives tell your story, Shine on me, shine on me.

Shine, Jesus, shine; fill this land with the Father’s glory; blaze, Spirit, blaze, set our hearts on fire.

Flow, river, flow; flood the nations with grace and mercy; Send forth your word, Lord, and let there be light.

Shine, Jesus, shine; fill this land with the Father’s glory; blaze, Spirit, blaze, set our hearts on fire.

Flow, river, flow; flood the nations with grace and mercy; Send forth your word, Lord, and let there be light.