When i was at Mass this morning, i was thinking that the bidding prayers were soooooo beautiful! They were all about God's mercy and us to approach, they were about us not being the judges of our brothers and sisters and about us called to welcome and love one another even - i'd say
especially though -
especially those who need to be loved more becase they have been away from God for a while and they were just so nice! -i prayed them of course: said a heartfelt "Lord graciously hear us" at the end of each one but i also thought i'd put them over here on the blog because they really were
so nice that i would like whoever reads this to pray them too - but anyway:
Faith had to read at church today SO she took my "Jum il-Mulej" (Day of the Lord) paper - the one i get from church to use for preparing ppts - and which also has the bidding prayers on it. She left it there, forgot to get it back and HENCE when i came back home i could NOT find it! Bottom like is that i cannot put those prayers up because the paper is at church - oh well...
Today's Gospel was beautiful - it always is - but today's more :-) (but i always say that anyway - they're all beautiful eh...)
I like it most when Jesus speaks to the woman and says - "oh woman? no one stayed to condemn you? they all left?". I like it because i think Jesus was really nice and friendly when He said that. I imagine that she had been so ashamed and humiliated! She was brought to Him and accused of what she had done before Him. She would not dare look up at him and then Jesus says that and - to me - it sounds like he was in a way trying to console her too saying: "ah ha! you see lady, even
they, who have judged you, and brought you here, and were willing to stone you to death, even
they have sin
but come on now - you're even better than they are because whereas they have gone home in ANGER and without repentance
YOU are still here: to receive mercy ;-)" Jesus did not condemn her instead He gives her mercy and sends her home with what to me sounds not so much a warning as much as a blessing: "Go and sin no more" - i think God said that firmly enough yes but with SO MUCH LOVE that it would have been a blessing not a warning - something which would echo in her heart to remind her that God's love for her was so great that she does NOT want to offend or hurt Him anymore. - It is like when the priest tells us, in Confession, "Go my child and sin no more" - and we are blessed with the Grace of God, strengthened so that we can fight sin better.
Below is the powerpoint with just the Gospel - not all the readings - but at the end of it is a song.
That song is one which we have been singing at the Lenten Talks this week and although i do not quite like the way the singer is singing when he sings it on his own, i love the words. The words speak of Grace which is
"enough for us and the whole human race"
God never ceases to love His Children - and we all are. Some of us - maybe some of our relatives or friends too - may leave God for a while but no matter who or why we leave God it does not change the fact that we remain loved and precious in His eyes. He would not condemn us but simply look at us, give us His Mercy and give us His Grace.
These are the words of the song found at the end of the ppt:
Oh, happiness!
There's Grace enough for us
and the whole human race!
Oh, happiness!
There's Grace enough for us
and the whole human race!
From the full streams
Of Your care
All who come
Begin again
Hard or friend
Rich or poor
All who need
Need fear no more
Such a thing to give away!
Oh, happiness!
There's Grace enough for us
and the whole human race!
Oh, happiness!
There's Grace enough for us
and the whole human race!
All regrets
Let go, forget
There's something that
Mends all of that
Such a thing to give away!
Oh, happiness!
There's Grace enough for us
and the whole human race!
Oh happiness!
There's Grace enough for us
and the whole human race!
Sound the church bells
Let 'em ring
Let 'em ring
For everything can be redeemed
We can be redeemed
All of us!
Oh, happiness!
There's Grace enough for us
and the whole human race!
Oh, happiness!
There's Grace enough for us
and the whole human race!
- and oh yes there is!
THANK GOD!!! :-)
