Towards a Eucharistic Spirituality: A Weekly Pastoral Tool

Archives: Year A-v.1 -Year B-v.2 - Year C-v.3

EUCHARISTIC ADORATION

THROUGH THE LITURGICAL YEAR (Vol. 6, n. 41)

23^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

September 5, 2010

“A Prisoner for Christ Jesus”

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

(A moment of silence)

SONG: Any Eucharistic hymn, song of praise or any other appropriate song may be sung.

INTRODUCTION

(Cf. Anthony de Mello in Meditations on the Sunday Gospels, Year C, ed. John Rotelle, New York: New City Press, 1998, p. 118-119)

What is happiness? Very few people know and no one can tell you, because happiness cannot be described. Can you describe light to people who have been sitting in darkness all their lives? Can you describe reality to someone in a dream? Understand your darkness and it will banish; then you will know what light is. Understand your nightmare for what it is and it will stop; then you will wake up to reality. Understand you false beliefs and they will drop; then you will know the taste of happiness … So spend some time seeing each of the things you cling to for what it really is, a nightmare that causes you excitement and pleasure on the one hand but also worry, insecurity, tension, anxiety, fear, unhappiness on the other … And you will understand how true it is that everyone who stops clinging to brothers and sisters, father, mother or children, land or houses … is repaid a hundred times over and gains eternal life.

SILENT ADORATION

OPENING PRAYER

Leader: Lord our God,

in you justice and mercy meet.

With unparalleled love you have saved us from death

and drawn us into the circle of your life.

Open our eyes to the wonders this life sets before us,

that we may serve you free from fear

and address you as God our Father.

We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.

Assembly: Amen

Part I

JESUS MASTER TRUTH

Listening to the Word

FIRST READING: Wis 9:13-18b

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

SECOND READING: Phlm 9-10, 12-17

GOSPEL READING: Lk 14:25-33

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 [Series 8, n. 41]: 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 any other appropriate song may be sung.

Part II

JESUS MASTER WAY

Confrontation with the Word

POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART

Do we commit ourselves totally to the Lord though his ways are beyond our understanding? Do we invoke the Lord to send forth among us the wisdom of the “holy spirit from on high”?

Are we resolved to follow Christ radically and intimately? How do we live out in daily life our fundamental option for Christ?

How did Saint Paul promote the cause of Onesimus, an escaped, converted slave, as well as the new intimate relationship that we have with Christ as his brothers and sisters? Does our absolute option for Christ lead us to deepen our bond and develop new, meaningful relationships with our fellow Christians?

PRAYING WITH THE WORD

Leader: O gracious Father,

fill us the light of your wisdom.

Bestow upon us “the spirit from on high”

to guide our Christian discipleship.

Bless our unmitigated option to serve Jesus.

Help us to renounce what displeases you

and oppose what militates against your saving will.

Let us serve you in the spirit of Saint Paul

who was a “prisoner for Christ Jesus”.

O loving God,

make us channels of your peace

and instruments of your divine mercy.

Teach us to heal the wounds of injustice and false division.

Give us the strength to rectify flawed social structures

that cripple and impoverish the humble and the “anawim”.

May we truly experience that we are no longer “slaves”

but fully liberated and sanctified “brothers and sisters”

in the Lord Jesus.

We give you praise and glory.

We love you and adore you,

now and forever.

Assembly: Amen.

Part III

JESUS LIFE

Acting upon the Word

PERSONAL PRAYER

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

THE WAY OF SOLIDARITY: PRAYER OF INTERCESSION

Priest: With trust and confidence, let us present our petitions to our loving God who gave us the gift of his Son, the Eucharistic Master. Let us say to him:

(R.) LORD, HEAR OUR PRAYER.

1. For the Holy Father’s General Intention for this month of September: That in less developed parts of the world the proclamation of the Word of God may renew people’s hearts and encourage them to work actively toward authentic social progress. We pray: (R.)

2. For the Holy Father’s Mission Intention for this month of September: That by opening our hearts to love, we may put an end to the numerous wars and conflicts that continue to bloody our world. We pray: (R.)

3. That God may cover with his protection our Holy Father, the Pope, and that the heavenly Father be his light, strength and consolation, especially in these difficult moments of Church history. We pray: (R.)

4. That we may always seek the wisdom given by the “holy spirit from on high” and make daily choices that reinforce our fundamental option to follow the Lord Jesus. We pray: (R.)

5. That our Christian profession of faith may be forcefully marked by total self-giving to the Divine Master and compassionate service to the poor and needy. We pray: (R.)

6. That we may cherish fully our new relationship with God and with one another through baptismal consecration and that, in caring for the weakest and in opposing all forms of slavery, we may testify that we are indeed “brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus”. We pray: (R.)

7. That the Eucharistic Activities for Priestly and Religious Vocations” in San Jose (CA-USA) on September 3-5, 2010 and the 22^nd Annual Diocesan Congress in Fresno (CA-USA) on October 8-10 may be blessed by the Lord God with apostolic fruitfulness. That the trapped miners in Chile may be rescued speedily. We pray: (R.)

(Other prayers may be added.)

THE LORD’S PRAYER

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Leader: Lord,

have pity on your people.

Help them each day to avoid what displeases you

and grant that they may serve you with joy.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Assembly: Amen.

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

Prepared by Sr. Mary Margaret Tapang PDDM

PIAE DISCIPULAE DIVINI MAGISTRI