Holy Spirit: DESERT Introduction: The Holy Spirit is always with us. He is at work in the hearts of each os us.

It is he who straightens what is twisted. It is he who makes straight the way of the saviour. He is present in all human aspirations and he corrects in them what must be corrected. We are temples of God and the Holy Spirit lives in us. All: Come, Holy Spirit, heal the hearts of your faithful. When we are dispirited; when we are overcome with a spirit of failure; when we harbour a spirit of resentment; when we look to our own happiness rather than the well-being of others; when we are worried and anxious about our lives; when our likes and dislikes influence our lives. Opening Prayer: O Great Spirit, whose voice we hear in the winds and whose breath gives life to all the world, hear us we are small and weak. We need your strength and wisdom. May we walk in beauty, and make our eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset. Make our hands respect the things you have made and our ears sharp to hear your voice. Make us wise so that we may understand the things you have taught our people. Let us learn lessons you have hidden in every leaf and rock. We seek strength, not to be greater than our brother but to fight our greatest enemy - myself. Make us always ready to come to you with clean hands and straight eyes. So when life fades as the fading sunset, my spirit may come to you without shame. We ask this... (Red Cloud Indian School of Pine Ridge, S.Dakota, adapted)

Intercessions: (Pentecost or wednesday in Lent morning prayer) Life giving spirit, we open our hearts to receive you, that we may learn how deeply you are present to us. Bring us your love, peace and joy. Complete the work you have begun in us. Your activity is beyond all human words. You are the love that unites us together. You are the strength that gives us hope to endure everything. You have created us in the image of Christ. Continue to renew us today, and everyday of our lives. Offertory: Lord, may the fire of your spirit which filled the hearts of the disciples with courage and love, make holy the sacrifice we offer in your sight. Preface: Father, all powerful and ever living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks. In the beginning your spirit hovered over the earth and called into being every creature that exists. Earth itself responded to your love and to every creature that came to be, you said: Yes, you are good. The waters brought forth life. Into clay you breathed a living soul. From that day we have sung your praises. There is nothing that is not drawn to you for the glory of your presence is written on all that is. You are reflected in high mountains and lowly valleys. You are there in the deep oceans and the farthest stars and in the stirrings of our hearts. So we thank you, Father, for every spirit that enables us to see and experience your presence in all the works of your hand and that same spirit enables us ordinary people to do extra-ordinary things. We thank you for every cup of water given in your name , for the joy of every child that comes into the world, and for every person who has touched us with your presence.

We blend our voices with the power of your spirit in prayer of all creation as we sing your praise with words that shall never cease. Holy, Holy ... Communion: God of the four winds, at creation a mighty wind swept over the formlessness of the earth and brought forth abundant life. Into humankind you breathed the breadth of your spirit and set all people free. Even while your son slept in the tomb of death, a gentle breeze awakened him to the fullness of freedom - to eternal life. Send your breeze to rustle our lives and awaken us to (the freedom of resurrection) be sensitive to the reality of resurrec-tion (new life) - in the cracking of dawn, in the ticking of a clock, in the opening of a door, in the little possibilities of each day, in the words of brothers and sisters, in fear and doubt, through searching and struggling and in the invitation of the spirit.