God is present in the chaos of our world people whose tears, pain, fears and joy hold for us the image of our God who loves, suffers, weeps and rejoices Our God embraces all people As Eucharistic and gospel women, we are sent to God s beloved people, living these events with them We reach out to them in prayer, friendship and service HYMN: The Cry of the Poor (CD: One Bread, One Body : John Foley, S.J.) Chorus The Lord hears the cry of the poor, blessed be the Lord. Verse 1 I will bless the Lord at all times with praise ever in my mouth. Let my soul glory in the Lord who hears the cry of the poor. Verse 2 Let the lowly hear and be glad; the Lord listens to their pleas; And to hearts broken God is near; who hears the cry of the poor. Verse 3 Every spirit crushed God will save; will be ransom for their lives; will be safe shelter for their fears, and will hear the cry of the poor. Verse 4 We proclaim your greatness, O God, Your praise ever in our mouth; Every face brightened in your light, For you hear the cry of the poor. 1
Antiphon: Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. Psalm 113 (Praise of God s Care for the Poor) Praise, you servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord both now and forever. From the rising of the sun to its setting let the name of the Lord be praised. High above all nations is the Lord, above the heavens his glory. Who is like the Lord our God enthroned on high, looking down on heaven and earth? He raises the needy from the dust, lifts the poor from the ash heap, seats them with princes, the princes of his people. Gives the childless wife a home, the joyful mother of children. Psalm 65 (Thanksgiving for God s Blessings) To you we owe our hymn of praise, O God of Zion. To you our vows must be fulfilled, you who hear our prayers. To you all flesh must come with its burden of wicked deeds. We are overcome by our sins; only you can pardon them. Blessed is the one whom you choose and bring to dwell in your courts. May we be filled with the good things of your house, your holy temple. You answer us with awesome deeds of justice, O God our savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of those far off across the sea. 2
You are robed in power. You set up the mountains by your might You still the roaring of the seas, the roaring of the waves, the tumult of the peoples. Distant people stand in awe of your marvels, the places of morning and evening you make resound with joy. You visit the earth and water it, make it abundantly fertile. God s stream is filled with water, you supply their grain. Thus do you prepare it, you drench its plowed furrows, and level its ridges. With showers you keep it soft, blessing its young sprouts. You adorn the year with your bounty your paths drip with fruitful rain. The meadows of the wilderness also drip The hills are robed with joy The pastures are clothe with flocks the valleys blanketed with grain they cheer and sing for joy. (PsalmTranslation taken from The Catholic Study Bible- Second edition - Oxford University Press.) Reading: The Christian option is not for poverty, because poverty as such does not exist. The option is for the poor, above all for the permanently poor in my path and part of my society, the one who has the right to expect something from me. The fact of the poor as a collective neighbor gives to charity its great social and political demand. For the Gospel the social-political commitment of the Christian is because of the poor person. Politics means the liberation of the needy Segundo Galilea Following Jesus (Taken from Peoples Companion to the Breviary -4 th Sunday of Lent) 3
Responsory: Happy are those who are open to the needs of the poor, -they shall see God. Happy are those who reach out to the needy, -they shall see God Glory be to the Father -they shall see God. Magnificat: Antiphon: Mary put aside every care and anxiety to serve God. My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, My Spirit rejoices in God my Saviour For He has looked with favour on His lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: The Almighty has done great things for me, And holy is His Name. He has mercy on those who fear Him In every generation. He has shown the strength of His arm, He has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, And has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty. He has come to the help of His servant Israel For He has remembered His promise of mercy, The promise He made to our fathers, To Abraham and his children for ever. 4
INTERCESSIONS: Response: Lord, hear our prayer. Give us ears to hear you in the needs of those who are poor, we pray: R/ Give us eyes to see you in the events of the world around us, we pray: R/ Give us minds to understand you in the words of your Scriptures, we pray: R/ Give us hearts to love you in our brothers and sisters, we pray: R/ Our Father Closing Prayer: Father, open our hearts and our eyes to the wonders of your presence among us. May we recognize and stand in awe of the signs of your beauty within and about us. Help to reach beyond ourselves and give thanks for all your creation that shares this universe with us. We pray this in union with the Incarnate Word of God in whose image all was created. Amen. 5