Communion for Ash Wednesday

from 'Imaging the Word'

On a day of fasting, on a day when we remember the frailty of our own bodies,
We are invited to share in one meal and to remember the frailty of one body above all.
All you who want to follow Jesus Christ into the wilderness,
Come and share in this meal;
All you who want to follow Jesus Christ to the cross,
Come and share in this meal;
All you who want to receive the life of God which is stronger than death,
Come and share in this meal.

Look at us Lord
Our hands are empty
Our hearts are hungry
What do we want?
We are here to say that we are hungry -
We are hungry for you, God our maker
We are hungry for a world where people are loved and affirmed
We are hungry for you Holy Sprit
We are hungry for justice
We are hungry for community
We are hungry for celebration
We are hungry for you Jesus Christ
We are hungry for change

God of life,
Today we remember that you are hungry too;
Jesus Christ, your wilderness hunger
Has prepared this meal;
Your hunger for life drove you to make yourself
Into food for the life of the world;
In our hearts we celebrate your life and death and life from death,
And we proclaim
This bread will be for us your body
This wine will be for us your blood

Prayer of consecration:

So we do now what you did at the last feast,
On the night you were betrayed,
Gathered with your friends
Around a table you took bread and wine
You said they were your body broken and your blood poured out
A new relationship to God

Send down your Holy Spirit on us and on these gifts of bread and wine
That they may become for us your body
Healing, forgiving and making us whole
And that we may become, for you, your body
Loving and caring in the world
Until your kingdom comes
Amen

On the night when he was betrayed
Jesus Christ took bread and broke it
And said, "this is my body which is given for you. Do this to remember me."
Later he took the cup of wine
He said, "this cup that is poured out for you is the new relationship with God made possible by my death."

People of God here is your food
People of God here is your drink
Take, eat and drink - receive the life of Christ

The body of Christ keep you in eternal life
The blood of Christ keep you in eternal life