Brother Thomas P. Draney, CFC
At the gathering
Presider: Let us recall and renew our faith
All: in God our Father, creator of heaven and earth
in the Word of God, Jesus the Christ, who is our savior and our brother
in the Holy Spirit, who guides us to the fullness of God's promise.
And in the community of believers, now the body of the Lord here on earth
Presider: Let us remember now all the wonders God has done
All: in creating out of nothing, and yet out of love which had to be shared,
a universe too great for us to imagine, let alone comprehend
a beautiful, fertile world for us to inhabit and to care for
in choosing a people through whom, over ages, He would reveal Himself
in sending a savior, the Messiah, to fulfill the law and the prophets
in sharing our humanity, being born of a woman
in giving God's life to us, being raised up on the cross
in sending forth disciples after the Easter experience, to proclaim the kingdom of God
We believe in your word that when two or three gather in your name,
You are present there with them.
Presider: Be with us Jesus, as you were with the disciples on the way to Emmaus
All: Break open the scriptures for us, Lord, that led by the Holy Spirit
we may recognize you present in our lives.
Presider: (breaking the bread) Let us ask a blessing on us gathered here
and on this meal as we recall the words of St. Paul: "For I received from the Lord what
I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed
over, took bread, and after he had given thanks, broke it and said"...
(All the guests extend their hands towards the presider and the bread, and say )
Presider: May this breaking of bread help us to break open our lives to one another and to
share what it means for each of us to be a disciple of Jesus, the Christ.
( Fragments are passed to each person, who wait for all to receive them)
Presider: (Holding a bread fragment, arms extended as if embracing all gathered at the table)
You said, "This is my body." We recognize this body as your Risen Presence among us
All: Amen. We believe it, Lord And help us, this community of disciples, to be
your body here on earth.
The fragments are consumed by all at the table, and after a moment of silence...
Presider: Let us feed our body with food and our soul with conversation.
The meal and conversations takes place now
............................................................................
The Cup of Blessing: (at the end of the meal, after dessert and coffee)
Presider: ( holding up the goblet with a small amount of wine)
Bless, Lord God, the fruit of the vine and the love we bear to each other.
Let us drink of the cup of life, for Jesus said
(Here guests extend hands towards the cup and presider)
All: "This is my blood given for you, the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as
drink it, in remembrance of me."
Presider: In drinking of this cup, we commit ourselves to the kingdom of God, the way of life
founded on Our Lord�s teaching, and on His presence among us yet
(The presider drinks of the cup and passes it to those gathered. each person holding it up to his
or her lips, and partaking of it as appropriate , while the following prayers are said slowly:---
Presider: Let us pray
All: Blessed be He of whose bounty we have partaken and through whose goodness we live
Presider: Blessed are you, our God, who feeds the whole world with
goodness and grace, with tender mercy.
All: Send down your Spirit. Lord, on this community of disciples so that we may
be refreshed, enlightened, and be of good cheer on our journey to You.
Presider: "Do this in memory of me" shall always mean for us to come together,
to be re-membered in your name, to be your body here on earth, and to break
open our lives to one another. (When the passing of the cup has been completed)
All: We drink again from the cup of blessing to show that we will always be your blood
outpoured for the good of the world. We pledge ourselves to You, your gospel, and your
community of disciples. .
AMEN An appropriate hymn can be sung or played as the table is cleared.