Father, all powerful and ever living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks and praise. You never cease to call us to a new and more abundant life.

God of love and mercy, you are always ready to forgive; we are sinners, and you invite us to trust in your mercy.

Time and time again we broke your covenant, but you did not abandon us. Instead, through your Son, Jesus our Lord, you bound yourself even more closely to the human family by a bond that can never be broken.

Now is the time for your people to turn back to you and to be renewed in Christ your Son, a time of grace and reconciliation.

You invite us to serve the family of mankind by opening our hearts to the fullness of your Holy Spirit.

In wonder and gratitude, we join our voices with the choirs of heaven to proclaim the power of your love and to sing of our salvation in Christ:

Father, all powerful and ever living God, we praise and thank you through Jesus Christ our Lord for your presence and action in the world.

In the midst of conflict and division, we know it is you who turn our minds to thoughts of peace.

Your Spirit changes our hearts: enemies begin to speak to one another, those who were estranged join hands in friendship, and nations seek the way of peace together.

Your Spirit is at work when understanding puts an end to strife, when hatred is quenched by mercy, and vengeance gives way to forgiveness.

For this we should never cease to thank and praise you.

We join with all the choirs of heaven as they sing for ever to your glory:

Father, from the beginning of time you have always done what is good for man so that we may be holy as you are holy.

Look with kindness on your people gathered here before you; send forth the power of your Spirit so that these gifts may become for us the body + and blood of your beloved Son, Jesus the Christ, in whom we have become your sons and daughters.

When we were lost and could not find the way to you, you loved us more than ever; Jesus, your Son, innocent and without sin, gave himself into our hands and was nailed to a cross. Yet before he stretched out his arms between heaven and earth in the everlasting sign of your covenant, he desired to celebrate the Paschal feast in the company of his disciples.

God of power and might, we praise you through your Son, Jesus Christ, who comes in your name. He is the Word that brings salvation. He is the hand you stretch out to sinners. He is the way that leads to your peace.

God our Father, we had wandered far from you, but through your Son you have brought us back. You gave him up to death so that we might turn again to you and find our way to one another. Therefore we celebrate the reconciliation Christ has gained for us.

We ask you to sanctify these gifts by the power of your Spirit, as we now fulfill your Son's + command.

While they were at supper, he took bread and gave you thanks and praise. He broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said:

Take this, all of you, and eat it;
this is my body which will be given up for you.

At the end of the meal, knowing that he was to reconcile all things in himself by the blood of his cross, he took the cup filled with wine. Again he gave you thanks, handed the cup to his friends, and said:

Take this, all of you, and drink from it;
this is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven. Do this in memory of me.

While he was at supper on the night before he died for us, he took bread in his hands and gave you thanks and praise. He broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said:

Take this, all of you, and eat it;
this is my body which will be given up for you.

At the end of the meal he took the cup. Again he praised you for your goodness, gave the cup to his disciples, and said:

Take this, all of you, and drink from it;
this is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven. Do this in memory of me.

We do this in memory of Jesus Christ, our Passover and our lasting peace. We celebrate his death and resurrection and look for the coming of that day when he will return to give us the fullness of joy. Therefore we offer you, God ever faithful and true, the sacrifice which restores man to your friendship.

Father, look with love on those you have called to share in the one sacrifice of Christ. By the power of your Holy Spirit make them one body, healed of all division.

Keep us all in communion of mind and heart with {Benedict} our Pope, {name of local bishop} our bishop. Help us to work together for the coming of your kingdom, until at last we stand in your presence to share the life of the saints, in the company of the Virgin Mary and the apostles, and of our departed brothers and sisters whom we commend to your mercy.

Then, freed from every shadow of death, we shall take our place in the new creation and give you thanks through Christ, our risen Lord.

Lord our God, your Son has entrusted to us this pledge of his love. We celebrate the memory of this death and resurrection and bring you the gift you have given us, the sacrifice of reconciliation.

Therefore, we ask you, Father, to accept us, together with your Son. Fill us with his Spirit through our sharing in this meal. May he take away all that divides us.

May this Spirit keep us always in communion with {Benedict}, our Pope, {name of local bishop} our bishop, with all the bishops and all your people. Father, make your Church throughout the world a sign of unity and an instrument of your peace.

You have gathered us here around the table of your Son, in fellowship with the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and all the saints.

In that new world where the fullness of your peace will be revealed, gather people of every race, language and way of life to share in the one eternal banquet with Jesus Christ the Lord.