1. Gathering in the presence of the Lord ‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest.’ Matthew 11:28

2. O God, rejoicing, we remember the promise of your Son. As the light from this candle burns brightly, may the blessings of Christ come upon us, brightening our way and guiding us by his truth. May Christ our Saviour bring life into the darkness of our world, and to us, as we wait for his coming.

3. Gospel Reading Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus exclaimed, ‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’ The Gospel of the Lord

4. Word of justice, Alleluia come to dwell here. Maranatha Word of mercy,live among us. Word of power,live within us. Word of freedom,save your people. Word of healing,heal our sorrow. Word of comfort,bring us hope now. Word of gladness,fill our hearts now. Word of wisdom,come renew us. Word we long for,word we thirst for. Key of David,Son of Mary. Promised Saviour,true Messiah. Cry of prophets,hope of ages. Light of nations,light in darkness. Risen Saviour,Lord of glory. You we long for,you we thirst for. Here among us,living in us. Bernadette Farrell Advent Litany - Maranatha

5. O God, rejoicing, we remember the promise of your Son. As the light from this candle burns brightly, may the blessings of Christ come upon us, brightening our way and guiding us by his truth. May Christ our Saviour bring life into the darkness of our world, and to us, as we wait for his coming.

6. All of us are the work of your hands. From the earth we were moulded in your image, fragile and dependent upon you. Although we are made perfect, we sometimes get it wrong, but you respond always with forgiveness. Out of love, you prepared us for the coming of Christ. You came into our lives, and talked about forgiving one another. You sat among those who were down and out, healing the sick and the lame. You shared our joys and sorrows, teaching us about loving our neighbour. Shape us in this season of Advent in readiness for the Word made flesh. Through the grace of hope we offer ourselves to help those in need. And we pray for the peace that only Christ can bring to the sadness in our world.

7. As we wait in joyful expectation for the coming of Christ our Lord, grant us the courage to transform our lives and to follow His example. May the light of God’s love shine out through us. AMEN