EUROPE : OFFICIAL PRAYER FOR EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS

IEC RELEASE:
Below is a video reflection on the new Eucharistic Congress prayer. The prayer was recently introduced by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin who invites you to support the Congress by praying this prayer on a daily basis if possible. To download the prayer please click here.


The prayer draws its inspiration from the Gospel story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Lk 24) and from the words of the prophet Micah:
“This and only this is what the Lord God asks of you: to act justly, to love tenderly, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
Prayer
The prayer for the 50th International Eucharistic Congress draws inspiration from a number of sources offering a rich tapestry of faith and of hope.
The prayer begins by addressing Jesus as Lord, acknowledging Him as the apostle of the Father – sent to bring communion to all, drawing all into one.
It offers the briefest synopsis of Jesus’ ministry and invites us to contemplate one of the best well known images of the post Resurrection experience of His disciples - taken from the story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus Jesus presents Himself as companion on the road (Lk 24:15). This journey and the gathering at the table in Emmaus is referred to again in the prayer, recognising that through the presence and activity of the Holy Spirit in our lives we too can experience communion with Christ and with one another fully.
Recognising the unity of the whole Christian family in faith, we reflect on the lifestyle inspired by the Gospel and the Breaking of Bread – summed up in the well known verse from the Prophet Micah (6:8) – ‘What does the Lord ask of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God’, with the added awareness that we are witnesses to the fullness of the Christian message. We are reminded that through Christian Initiation that we are the Body of Christ, and that our participation in Eucharist inspires our daily living and our outreach to those in need with an authentic commitment to social justice. This is the kingdom of God in our midst as expressed in Lumen Gentium 3: The Church, or, in other words, the kingdom of Christ now present in mystery, grows visibly through the power of God in the world.
The prayer concludes with an invocation of Mary, the Theotokos (Mother of God), with an invitation to see ourselves within a loving relationship – that of Mother and child (adult children too). The Johannine image of Jesus entrusting us to the spiritual support of the Mother of God is a source of encouragement on our pilgrim way.
This leads us into a final doxology offered in the Spirit, through whom, as St. Paul reminds us, we call God ‘Abba’ Father. (Rm 8:15). Our praise of the Father is offered by the whole Church, both on earth and already in the house of the Father – the ultimate goal of our earthly pilgrimage (Tertio Millennio Adveniente 49).
This prayer text lends itself both to silent reflection and to vocal prayer. It is hoped that it will be a source of personal and community enrichment, and of assistance to all who seek to understand the Eucharist and embrace it as communion with Christ and with one another.
SHARED FROM IEC

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