Year One Liturgy

Year One Liturgy

Friends Together

Introduction:

Today we gather to celebrate a wonderful gift– the gift of friendship. We know what a great thing it is to be a loving friend and to have loving friends.

During this celebration, we will try to remember all the friends we have at home, at school, in the community and in the Church.

It is good to have friends at home, at school, in the community and in the Church with whom we share love. We will remember that loving friends are God’s gift to us.

Opening Hymn:

(Please sit)

Opening Prayer: Fr Matt

I can see my friends love me by the things they say and the things they do. My friends can see I love them , too; by the things I say and things I do. Help us, Lord, to be friends who say and do loving things. Amen.

First Reading: Phil 3:8, 10 Child

St Paul is telling us in this reading that Jesus is a great friend to have, especially when we feel sorry for ourselves, or sad. We can be sure that Jesus will always understand our troubles and that he will be a real friend to us.

Dear friends,

Nothing could be better than knowing Jesus!

I would give up everything, just to stay friends with him.

Remember how much he suffered, and don’t forget that we can always share our troubles with him, when things go wrong.

This is the word of the Lord.

Gospel: Luke 19:1-10– Fr Matt

1Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. 4So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

5When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." 6So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

7All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.' "

8But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."

9Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

This is the word of the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

Homily

Prayers of the Faithful:

Child 1- We are sorry for the times that we did not listen to our friends. Help us to be real friends together.

Lord hear us

All: Lord, hear our prayer

Child 2-We are sorry for the times we did not show respect to our friends. Help us to be real friends together.

Lord hear us

All: Lord, hear our prayer

Child 3- We are sorry for the times we have fought with our friends. Help us to be real friends together.

Lord hear us

All: Lord, hear our prayer

Child 4- We are sorry for the times we did not share with our friends. Help us to be real friends together.

Lord hear us

All: Lord, hear our prayer

A Litany of Friends:

Child 1: A friend is someone who laughs with me.