The logo of the Year of Mercy, presents us with the image of Christ, the Good Shepherd, carrying a person on His shoulders. In the image, the person is held so close by Christ that the person actually takes on the eye of Christ. Christ's right eye and the person's left eye are one.

Year of Mercy: An Evening Prayer

L: O God, come to our aid.

All:O Lord, make haste to help us

L: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit

All:As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen

Hymn (Melody: God of Mercy and Compassion)

God of Mercy and compassion, be the one who comforts me.

Be the open arms of welcome as I turn and look on Thee.

In this moment of renewal, help me see with eyes of Christ

ways in which I need Your mercy; ways in which I need Your love

In my weakness and my selfishness I have often failed to love

I have sometimes walked away from You. I have not been free from sin

In this moment of renewal, help me see with eyes of Christ

ways in which I need Your mercy; ways in which I need Your love

L: In November, Pope Francis inaugurated the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. In so doing, he has called every member of the Church

to a time of prayer and reflection, to a time of meditation, to a time of blessing and new beginning. As we begin our prayer this evening, we take a moment to contemplate the mystery of God. In the silence, we sense the presence of God with us, we ponder on the God of Mercy

[Allow a few minutes of silent prayer before the recitation of the psalm]

*[Optional] A representation of the Logo for Year of Mercy/ The Good Shepherd is carried forward slowly and presented to the praying assembly of people and then placed the sanctuary for reflection

Reader 1: The Lord is compassion and love.

L:Psalm 103 is one of the great psalms which helps us contemplate the compassion and love of God. In the logo for the Year of Mercy, we see the love of God portrayed in the care of Christ who takes humanity on His shoulders as He carries us on the road of life. Christ is the perfect icon, the perfect image of the Merciful Father.

THE PSALM TEXT IS GIVEN AND PRAYED ALTERNATELY BETWEEN THE READER AND THE CONGREGATION.

All: The Lord is compassion and love.

*[Optional] A large bowl of water is carried forward slowly, - representing our need of cleansing -and is presented to the praying assembly of people and then placed close to the logo/Good Shepherd in the sanctuary,

Reader 2: A pure heart create for me, O God.

L: Psalm 50 is one of the great penitential psalms. It expresses the plea each of us makes in our heart when we become conscious of our need of the mercy and forgiveness of God. The psalmist who wrote this, was very much in touch with the gentle God who desires our freedom from sin. The verses of the psalm move between the person who wishes to be released from sin and our God who will not turn away from our desire to make a new beginning

THE PSALM TEXT IS GIVEN AND PRAYED ALTERNATELY BETWEEN THE READER AND THE CONGREGATION.

All: A pure heart create for me, O God.

Hymn: Oh the love of my Lord is the essence

*[Optional]A representation of Christ / the Cross is carried forward slowly and presented to the praying assembly of people and then placed in sanctuary for reflection. Alternatively, if there is already a cross or image of Christ in the sanctuary area you may wish to incorporate that at this point.

[Allow a few minutes of silent prayer before the recitation of the canticle]

Reader 3 :By His wounds you have been healed

L:This Canticle – or poem – from the Letter of St Peter – allows us to meditate for a few moments on the mystery of Christ who suffered and died for us. Indeed, it is through His suffering and wounds that the way to the Father has been opened for us. His self-giving and His love for each of us is an exampled of the self-giving and love that all who bear His name are asked to emulate.

THE CANTICLE TEXT IS GIVEN AND PRAYED ALTERNATELY BETWEEN THE READER AND THE CONGREGATION.

All: By His wounds you have been healed

Scripture Reading Matthew (25)

Come you whom my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world:

For when I was hungry, you gave me to food; I was thirsty you gave me drink;

I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me;

sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.

"I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me."

Hymn [Any appropriate hymn e.g. Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers / Here I am Lord / Servant Song / The Cry of the Poor /

Let me mercy you (Music available from Sr Perpetua) ]

L: When people are without food

All: May our eyes be open to their need. May our hearts be moved to respond in mercy

L: When people are without water

All: May our eyes be open to their need. May our hearts be moved to respond in mercy

L: When people are without clothes

All: May our eyes be open to their need. May our hearts be moved to respond in mercy

L: When people have no home

All :May our hearts be softened to their needs. May we visit them with mercy

L: When people are sick

All :May our hearts be softened to their needs. May we visit them with mercy

L: When our people have died

All: May our hearts be softened to be respectful of their passing. May we pray for God’s mercy to embrace them.

L In solidarity with all who are in need of God’s mercy at this time ,we pray

All: Lord Jesus, You have taught us to be merciful like the heavenly Father, and have told us that whoever sees You, sees Him. Show us Your face and we will be saved. You are the visible face of the invisible Father, of the God who manifests His power above all by forgiveness and mercy.

Send Your Spirit and consecrate every one of us with Your anointing so that the Jubilee of Mercy may be a year of grace from the Lord, and Your Church, with renewed enthusiasm, may bring good news to the poor, proclaim liberty to the captive and the oppressed, and restore sight to the blind. We ask this through the intercession of Mary, Mother of Mercy, You who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen

L In communion with all who experience Christ as the Face of the Merciful Father, we pray . . . .

All: Our Father who are in heaven . . . . .

Merciful and compassionate God

as we journey through this Jubilee Year of Mercy

May Your Holy Spirit set our hearts aflame with love;

May Jesus Your Son continue to be our inspiration;

May our deeds of mercy bring compassion to a world in need

and especially to the materially poor -

those who are our sisters and brothers.

We ask this in Jesus name. Amen

L: Let us bless the Lord

All: Thanks be to God.

Concluding Hymn