EUCHARISTIC ADORATION

THROUGH THE LITURGICAL YEAR (# 31)

A Weekly Pastoral Tool for the YEAR OF THE EUCHARIST

13^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

June 26-July 2, 2005

“Take Up the Cross”

(+) In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

(A moment of silence)

SONG: Any suitable Eucharistic hymn or any appropriate song may be sung.

WORDS OF ROMANO GUARDINI

            The more profoundly Christian a man becomes, the deeper the cleft between him and those who refuse to follow Christ … When it comes to a choice between domestic peace and Jesus, one must value Jesus higher, even higher than the most dearly beloved: father and mother, son and daughter, friend or love. This means cutting into the very core of life … Naturally, it is difficult; it is the cross. And here we touch the heaviest mystery of Christianity, its inseparableness from the Calvary. Ever since Christ walked the way of the cross, it stands firmly planted on every Christian’s road, for every follower of Christ has his own personal cross … Jesus has said unequivocally, and his words are fundamental to Christianity: He who hangs on. Body and soul, to life will lose it; he who surrenders his will to his cross will find it – once and for ever in the immortal self that shares in the life of Christ … The great lesson of the cross is the great lesson of self- surrender and self-conquest.“

SILENT ADORATION AND PRAYER

OPENING PRAYER

(Cf. Book of Blessing)

Leader: Lord,

your Son reconciled us to you by suffering on the cross

and then returned to you in glory.

May your people who have raised this cross as a sign of redemption

find in it protection and strength;

may they shoulder their own crosses

in the spirit of the Gospel

until their journey ends.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Assembly: Amen.

Part I

JESUS MASTER TRUTH

Listening to the Word

GOSPEL READING: Mt 10:37-42

PERSONAL REFLECTION

(As a tool for personal reflection, please visit the PDDM Website: www.pddm.org // www.pddm.us for BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD [# 31]: A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy. The Biblico-Liturgical Reflections are an aid for a deeper understanding of the Gospel reading.)

SONG: Any Eucharistic hymn or suitable song of praise may be sung.

Part II

JESUS MASTER WAY

Confrontation with the Word

POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART

Leader: Jesus Christ challenges us anew with the task of discipleship. Let us now look deep into our hearts and ask:

1.      Is our love for Christ absolute and non-negotiable? Do we value the love of Jesus more than any other love?

2.      Do we glean from the mystery of the cross the great lesson of self-surrender and self-conquest?

3.      How do we welcome the Christian disciples and God’s “little ones”?

PENITENTIAL PRAYER

(Composed by Robert Hovda)

Assembly: Lord God of all creation,

whose awesome will lifts up the cross,

a sign of entry to eternal life,

change our hearts

that we may turn from all past ways of worldly power,

from means of destruction and coercion,

to embrace the way of the cross,

the weakness that is true power,

the folly that marks your wisdom and your reign.

SONG: Any suitable song may be sung.

Part III

JESUS LIFE

Acting upon the Word

PERSONAL PRAYER

CONTEMPLATING WITH MARY THE FACE OF CHRIST: The Mysteries of Light of the Rosary may be prayed in part or in full.

THE WAY OF SOLIDARITY: PRAYER OF INTERCESSION

Leader: Trusting in the Lord’s providential care for his faithful disciples, let us turn to him in prayer and say:

(R.) LORD, HEAR OUR PRAYER.

1.      That we may love God unconditionally and learn from the saving cross the great lesson of self-surrender and self-conquest; we pray:  (R.)

2.      That we may learn to sacrifice our “life” day by day in order to truly find it; we pray:  (R.)

3.      That we may welcome God’s “little ones” and show gracious hospitality to his disciples; we pray:  (R.)

4.      That we may all receive the prophet’s reward and rejoice in the love of God; we pray:  (R.)

5.      That the poor and destitute in the family of nations may experience the compassionate hand of God through the ministry of charity of the Christian disciples; we pray:  (R.)

6.      That the millions of refugees in the world may receive brotherly love and concrete aid from all Christians; we pray:  (R.)

7.      That all Christians may come to an ever-deeper realization that the Most Holy Eucharist is the pulsing heart of the Church; we pray:  (R.)

(Other prayers may be added.)

THE LORD’S PRAYER

CONCLUDING PRAYER

(An Eleventh Century Saxon Prayer)

Assembly: Lord Jesus Christ, for the sake of thy holy cross,

be with me to shield me.

Lord Jesus Christ, by thy memory of thy blessed cross,

be within me to strengthen me.

Lord Jesus Christ, for thy holy cross,

be ever round about me to protect me.

Lord Jesus Christ, for thy glorious cross,

go before me to direct my steps.

Lord Jesus Christ, for thy adorable cross,

come thou after me to guard me.

Lord Jesus Christ, for thy cross, worthy of all praise,

overshadow me to bless me.

Lord Jesus Christ, for thy noble cross,

be thou in me to lead me to thy kingdom.

FINAL SONG: Any suitable Eucharistic hymn or song of praise may be sung.

Prepared by Sr. Mary Margaret Tapang  PDDM

PIAE DISCIPULAE DIVINI MAGISTRI

SISTER DISCIPLES OF THE DIVINE MASTER

60 Sunset Ave., Staten Island, NY 10314

Tel. (718) 494-8597 // (718) 761-2323

Website: WWW.PDDM.US