In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Leader: God of peace be praised as we rejoice in the
Resurrected life of Jesus!
All: God of light be praised as we honor the life of Blessed
Theresa!
Psalm 63
Antiphon: “I cannot describe my interior peace, now I am in
Jesus.” (Bl. Theresa)
O God, you are my God, I long for you; my soul thirsts for you! My
body seeks for you as in a dry and weary land without water. So I
have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and
your glory.
For your constant love is better than life, so I will bless you as long
as I live. I will lift up my hands and call on your name.
My soul feasts on you and my mouth praises you, as I think about
you and meditate on you throughout the night.
You are my help. My soul clings to you and your right hand holds
me.
All: Glory to you, Source of all being, Eternal Word and Holy
Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now and will be forever. Amen.
A reading from You, God , prayers based on the words of Blessed
Theresa.
O God, I am allowed to love. It is a gift, a grace, to be allowed to
love, to be allowed to love you.
I am able to love because you give me the ability, the strength, to be
able to love, to be able to love you.
It is my wish to love, my deep longing, always to love, always to love
you.
Still, O God, I ask myself: How can I love you? How should I love
you? And you answer: Believe me, trust me. Do whatever I tell you.
Love your neighbor and give me your heart.
All: For whoever loves gives everything with joy. Love cannot
wait.
Petitions
Leader: Theresa said: Love is the sign through which the
world should be convinced that we belong in Jesus.
Response: May we embrace dialogue as a way of life that leads
to new discoveries about ourselves and others and leads to
conversion, reconciliation and healing.
Leader: Theresa said: We may be as little concerned as the
birds of the air and the flowers of the field because the good Lord
looks after us in the best possible way.
Response: May we strive to live more simply, responsibly and
sustainably with one another and with all creation.
Leader: Theresa said: In unity is our strength, therefore we
must hold to this anchor above all.
All: May we intensify our efforts to witness to unity in a divided
world by holding all in common.
Leader: Theresa said: God’s cause is the only concern of our
heart.
All: May we direct our resources and ministries to the
transformation of persons and the elimination of the root causes of
injustice.
Leader: Theresa said: Prayer is that glowing furnace in
which the fire of divine love is kindled and kept burning.
All: May we deepen the contemplative and prophetic
dimensions of our lives by grounding who we are and all we do in
the love of the Triune God.
(Please add you own intentions.)
Closing Prayer
Leader: Let us pray:
Almighty and merciful God, you chose Blessed Theresa of Jesus
Gerhardinger as gifted educator to contribute to shaping Christian
family life and society. Through her intercession, help us to work
together to promote the works of God in all that we do. We ask this
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
