FAMILY CELEBRATION OF

THE LORD’S DAY

Introduction
This ceremony resembles the Sabbath Ceremony actually used by Jewish
families for beginning the Sabbath. The ceremony is usually performed before
the dinner meal.
In this meal, we make use of the Jewish form of thanking God for His blessings,
which is called “The Berakah” (Blessed are You, O Lord, King of the Universe,
Who etc…..)
 As the first Christians were Jews, well founded in Old Testament tradition, they
made use of this form of blessing in their prayers (Eph. 1:3-14) and Liturgy.
 Jesus himself would have been familiar with this blessing as He would have
heard Joseph praying and blessing the bread and wine on the Sabbath. Mary
His Mother, also, like the Jewish women of her time, would have begun the
celebration by lighting and blessing of the Sabbath light.
Preparation for the Opening Ceremony
Have available:
• Table set with dinner cloth and flowers
• Lord’s Day booklets
• Bible
• Candle
• Wine cup
• Wine or grape juice
• Loaf of bread
• Cheese (optional)
• Meal already prepared and ready to serve.

Have different members of the household take responsibility for

these different areas of preparation; all should be done and set up
before the celebration begins.
The Lord’s Day Ceremony
The Lighting of the Candle
 Song: (Opening song to be selected according to the festive season)
 
Reading: (One of the following can be selected):
 John 1:1-18
John 1:1-5
Ephesians 1:3-14
Colossians 1:15-20
 
 Leader Prays:
Lord of the Universe, in honor of Your Son, Light of the World and Author
of Life, I am about to perform the duty of kindling the light for the Lord’s Day,
even as it is written: “and you shall call the Sabbath a delight, and the holy
day of the Lord honorable,” and may the effect of our fulfilling this
commandment be, that the stream of ‘abundant life and heavenly blessing
flow in upon us; that You may be gracious unto us and cause Your Holy
Spirit to dwell more richly among us. Father of Mercy, O continue Your loving
kindness toward us. Make us worthy to walk in the way of Your Son, loyal to
your teaching and unwavering in love and service. Keep far from us all
anxiety, darkness and gloom; and grant that peace, light and joy ever abide
in our home; for in You is the fountain of life; in Your light do we see light.
Response: Amen
Responsorial Prayer
(Leader extends his hands towards unlit candle during this prayer)
Leader: Let us welcome the Lord’s Day.
Response: May its radiance illuminate our hearts as we enkindle this
candle.
Leader: Light is the symbol of the Lord Jesus.
Response: The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Leader: Light is the symbol of the Lord’s presence with us.
Response: He is the true light that enlightens every man.
Leader: Light is the symbol of the Lord’s purpose and ways.
Response: His word is a lamp unto my feet and a light for my path.
Leader: Light is the symbol of the mission to which the Lord has called us.
Response: You are the light of the world; let Your light so shine before men
that they may see Your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
 Blessing of the Lord’s Day Light
Leader: Therefore, remembering the Lord Jesus Who is source of all light and
life, and united with all our brothers and sisters and wish all the angels and
saints, we enkindle this light.

Assistant:(The assistant now lights the candle. Then with hands raised over
the light prays the following blessing):
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who has hallowed us
by Your loving word and taught us to kindle the light of the Lord’s Day.
Song: (e.g., Light of Christ; Isaiah 60; etc.)

Leader:Father, You have glorified the world by the light of your Risen Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him You sent Your Spirit into the world to
enkindle in us the fire of Your love. Grant that we who are gathered in His
Name, may so live together in the light of His truth that our love for one
another may continue to grow each day.
Blessing of the Wine
Leader: Come let us welcome the day of the Lord in joy and peace Like
a bride, radiant and joyous, comes the day of the Lord. It brings
blessings to our hearts, workday thoughts and cares are put
aside. The brightness of the Lord’s Day light shines forth to tell
that the Divine Spirit of Love abides within our home. In that
light all our blessings are enriched, all our griefs and trials are
softened.
 
At this hour, God’s messenger of Peace comes and turns our
heart towards one another, strengthening the bond of devotion
to that pure and lofty ideal of brotherhood and sisterhood that
is found in Holy Scripture.
(Here the leader pours wine into the cup. Holding the cup, he recites the
following prayer)
 Leader: Lord, through Your goodness we have this wine, symbol of joy. Aswe
enter into this Lord’s Day celebration, we thank you for the blessings of this
past week; for life, health and strength; for home, love and friendship; for
the discipline of our trials and temptations through which we are
strengthened; for the fruit that has come out of our labors. You have enabled
us, O Lord, by the blessing of work, and in your love and kindness you have
made us holy by the blessing of rest according to your commandment: “Six
days shall you labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to
the Lord your God.”
Response: Amen
 (The leader now raises the wine cup and prays the traditional blessing):
 Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has created the
fruit of the vine. (The cup is now passed around)
Blessing of the Bread
 Leader: (Holding the bread in his hands, says:)
  Lord, through Your goodness we have this bread. It is a symbol
of our brotherhood and unity, since this one bread comes from
many grains of wheat. It is a sign of Your daily provident care
and love. As we have this one bread may we also share
completely our lives together through the power of the Holy
Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life.
 Response: Amen.
 
Leader: (Holding up the bread, says the traditional blessing):
  Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who
causes the earth to yield food for all.
  (The bread is now passed around.)
Thanksgiving
  (As
a portion of the bread is taken, each person may give thanks for a particular blessing he/she has received during the
past week.)
 For example:
 “I thank the Lord for this good day with my family.” “I thank the Lord for the rain we have received.” (Or, in the form of
“Berakah”):
“Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe Who has given us…..”
(The bread is not eaten until all have given thanks.)

 The Lord’s Day Greeting

 (After the thanksgiving prayers are said, all eat the bread together while the Leader says the Lord’s Day greeting.)
Leader: “This is the Lord’s Day – let us be glad and rejoice in it.”
 Response: Amen
(Cheese may be passed around now. The ceremony concludes with a song of praise or any other appropriate song.)
Concluding prayer
(TheLeader extends his right hand towards the members as he prays:)
Leader: God has given us to one another as special gifts. He calls us to be
true children of God. He calls us to live lives that are truly Christ-like.
So that we may experience the fullness of the life of Jesus Christ, I
now pray that God will bless us and empower us to live in holiness
and honor all the days of our lives.
Response: Amen

Leader: I now call upon us all the blessing which God commanded that
Aaron should pray over the chosen people:May the Lord bless us
and keep us. The Lord makes His face to shine upon us and be
gracious to us. The Lord lifts up His countenance upon us and gives
us peace.
Response: Amen
Dinner is now served .
ISAIAH 60
Arise, shine out, for your light has come
The glory of Yahweh is rising on you
Though night still covers the earth
And darkness the peoples, above you
Yahweh now rises; above you
His glory appears, arise

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 ISAIAH 60
The nations come to your light
And kings to your dawning brightness
Singing the praise of Yahweh
Bringing gold and incense
Lift up your eyes and look around you
All are assembling and coming toward you
Your sons from far away and your daughters
Being tenderly carried this day

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 ISAIAH 60
Arise, shine out, for your light has come
The glory of Yahweh is rising on you
Though night still covers the earth
And darkness the peoples, above you
Yahweh now rises; above you
His glory appears, arise

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 ISAIAH 60
They bring your sons from far away
And their silver and gold with them
For the name of Yahweh
Your God the Holy One of Israel
No more shall violence be heard in your country
Nor devastation within your frontiers
You will call your walls “Salvation”
And your gates “Praise”

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 ISAIAH 60
Arise, shine out, for your light has come
The glory of Yahweh is rising on you
Though night still covers the earth
And darkness the peoples, above you
Yahweh now rises; above you
His glory appears, arise

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 ISAIAH 60
No more will the sun give you day light
Nor moon light shine on you
But Yahweh will be your eternal light;
Your God will be your splendor
Your sun will set no more nor your moon wane
But Yahweh will be your eternal light
And your days of mourning will pass
From your sight

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 ISAIAH 60
Arise, shine out, for your light has come
The glory of Yahweh is rising on you
Though night still covers the earth
And darkness the peoples, above you
Yahweh now rises; above you
His glory appears, arise

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John 1:1-18
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came to be through him, and without him nothing

came to be. What came to be, 4 through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race;
5 the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

6 A man named John was sent from God. 7 He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all

might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. 9 The true light,
which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him.
11 He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him.

12 But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in

his name, 13 who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision
but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of

the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.

15 John testified to him and cried out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘The one who is coming

after me ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’” 16 From his fullness we have all received,
grace in place of grace, 17 because while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came
through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, has
revealed him
John 1:1-5
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.

3 All things came to be through him, and without him nothing

came to be. What came to be,

4 through him was life, and this life was the light of the human

race;
5 the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not

overcome it.
Colossians 1:15-20
15  He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
16  For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him
and for him.
17  He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
18  He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that
in all things he himself might be preeminent.
19  For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell,
20  and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his
cross [through him], whether those on earth or those in heaven.
I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE
I am the bread of life
He who comes to me shall not hunger
He who believes in me shall not thirst
No one can come to me, unless the Father draw him

And I will raise Him up

And I will raise Him up
And I will raise Him up
On the last day
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 I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE
The bread that I will give
Is my flesh for the life of the world
And he who eats of this bread
He shall live forever
Shall live forever

And I will raise Him up

And I will raise Him up
And I will raise Him up
On the last day
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 I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE
Unless you eat of the flesh of the Son of Man
And drink of his blood and drink of his blood
You shall not have life within you

And I will raise Him up

And I will raise Him up
And I will raise Him up
On the last day

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 I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE
I am the resurrection,
I am the life, he who believes in me,
Even if he dies
He shall live forever

And I will raise Him up

And I will raise Him up
And I will rasie Him up
On the last day
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 I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE
Yes, Lord, I believe
That you are the Christ,
The Son of God
Who has come into the world.

And I will raise Him up

And I will raise Him up
And I will rasie Him up
On the last day
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THE LIGHT OF CHRIST
The light of Christ has come into the world.
The light of Christ has come into the world.

All men must be born again

To see the kingdom of God
The water and the Spirit bring new life in God’s love

The light of Christ has come into the world

The light of Christ has come into the world
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 THE LIGHT OF CHRIST
God gave up His only Son out of love for the world
So that all men who believe in Him will live forever

The light of Christ has come into the world

The light of Christ has come into the world

The light of God has come to us

So that we might have salvation
From the darkness of our sins
We walk into glory with Christ Jesus
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 THE LIGHT OF CHRIST
The light of Christ has come into the world
The light of Christ has come into the world

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