BE PREPARED FOR THE FINAL TEST
INTRODUCTORY RITES
Gather as a family/ community; create an environment appropriate for prayer (dress appropriately - switch off your phones...).
We cannot gather as usual for the Eucharist. But we are conscious that Christ is present not only in the Blessed Sacrament but also in the Scriptures and in our hearts. Even when we are on our own, we remain part of the Body of Christ.
Place lighted candles, a crucifix, and the Bible on a covered table. These remind us of the sacredness of our time of prayer and could help us feel connected with our local worshipping communities.
You may sing or play an appropriate hymn. For instance:
The Sign of the Cross
Greeting and Introductory Words
L: The Lord invites us to the table of his Word: let us bless him for his goodness.
A: Blessed be God forever.
L: The liturgy today reminds us that we must ‘stand ready’ for the return of the Lord. We must be people who are ‘dressed for action’ and have our ‘lamps lit’ and be those who are ‘found awake’… prepared for the return of the Master.
We ask the Lord for the grace to be prepared for his coming.
Penitential Rite
L: And for our failure to be vigilant and diligent servants, we ask his pardon.
Pause
L: Lord Jesus, you urge us to not be afraid and to trust in God:
Lord, have mercy.
A: Lord, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you ask us to be vigilant and ready for your coming:
Christ, have mercy.
A: Christ, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you call us to be faithful and prudent stewards:
Lord, have mercy.
A: Lord, have mercy.
L: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
A: Amen.
Gloria
Opening Prayer
L: O God,
on whom our faith rests secure
and whose kingdom we await,
sustain us by word and sacrament
and keep us alert
for the coming of the Son of Man,
that we may welcome him without delay.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
A: Amen.
THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
Readings
The readings are those assigned for the day in the Lectionary.
Preferably use a Bible/ Lectionary for reading.
Reading 1 Wisdom 18:6-9
Psalm Psalm 33:1, 12, 18-19, 20-22
Response Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Reading 2 Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19
Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia.
Stay awake and be ready!
For you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
Gospel Luke 12:32-48
Reflection on the Readings
Use one of the following ways to reflect on the readings.
Lectio Divina
Imagine you are with the disciples. What are your thoughts and feelings when you hear the parables of the vigilant servants and of the faithful-prudent steward?
Sunday Snippets
It was exam time during my second year of theology. I was studying after dinner. There was a knock on my door. It was my scripture teacher!
He said: “I know your exam is day after tomorrow. I have a blood test in the morning, and I will reach late for your timeslot. I am out tomorrow. Can you come for your exam earlier?” Mine was the first slot. I asked: “Earlier? When?” He said: “Come now!”
Now! I wanted some time to dress appropriately and to glance through my notes. My teacher said: “Come as you are!” I had no choice but to close my door… and go for the test!
All of us will have to face a much more important—and dead-cert—test at the end of our lives.
We do not know when Jesus—the “teacher”—will call us for the test; he tells us it will be “on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour.” In this Sunday’s gospel, through the parable of the vigilant servants and the parable of the faithful and prudent steward, Jesus advises his “little flock” to be prepared for this final test.
An attitude that will help us be prepared for the final test is commitment to the task/mission God has entrusted to us.
Jesus calls the disciples to be “vigilant servants”: they must be prepared for vigorous activity and do whatever their master has asked them to do.
Jesus calls his disciples to be “faithful and prudent stewards”: they must loyally and responsibly administer their owner’s assets and cares for those who are in their power.
When we do this, we are always ready for the teacher, and we need not fear the final test.
There is another—more important—reason for being unafraid: Jesus tells us that we are a flock loved by the Father, chosen and intended for the kingdom.
Like Abraham—our father in faith—we must trust God’s providence which sustains us always and in unexpected ways. Abraham believed that God would fulfil the promise of land and the promise of progeny. In faith, he looked beyond the present moment to a future that is held in God’s hands.
Am I prepared for the final test? Am I a “faithful-prudent-vigilant steward” committed to my God-entrusted mission? Do I trust in divine providence?
Questions to Ponder
Reflect on some (or all) of the following questions:
Reading 1: Am I certain enough of God’s covenant with us that I could carry out what scripture calls a “leap of faith”? Do I make small leaps of faith in my everyday life?
Reading 2: God called Abraham to an unknown country. Do I feel I am on uncharted faith territory? Who/what helps me in these unmapped areas of faith?
What do I make of God’s promises to Abraham?
Gospel: Jesus says to be “vigilant” and “like servants who await their master’s return, be ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks”? Do I “watch” for God in my everyday life? Where do I find him?
The Creed
Prayer of the Faithful
L: My brothers and sisters, to God who has entrusted us with the riches of the kingdom, let us pray for the mission of the Church and all the baptized, that all may be trustworthy stewards of the mysteries of faith: Lord, hear our prayer.
R: For the Church: that God may renew and deepen our faith so that we may be confident that God is always present and accompanies us along each step of our journey, we pray…
R: For world leaders: that they may be just and attentive to the needs of God’s household and may ensure a just sharing of the world’s resources, we pray…
R: For all whose faith is tested, particularly those being persecuted or leaving home for the first time: that they may rely upon God for strength and draw upon the values that they have learned in making decisions, we pray…
R: For all who are in need: that God may give strength to all who have lost homes or possessions in storms and flooding, give healing to the sick, and sustain them as they rebuild their lives, we pray…
R: For better stewardship: that we may fulfil our responsibilities with love and diligence so that our efforts may glorify God, we pray…
R: For ourselves: that we may faithfully and diligently use the time that God has given us so that we may be found faithful and bearing much fruit, we pray…
L: Lord God, on whom our faith rests secure and whose kingdom we await, keep us alert for the coming of the Son of Man, that we may welcome him without delay as faithful and diligent servants. Through Christ our Lord.
A: Amen.
SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
The Lord’s Prayer
Spiritual Communion
A: Jesus, I know and believe in your real presence in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist. It is you I desire to love and receive above all things. As I am unable to receive your sacramental presence now, come and be with me in heart and soul. Let my entire self be united with you as I welcome you again and know your loving embrace. Amen.
Post Spiritual Communion Reflection
Lord,
you tell us to be vigilant and watch for your coming.
Help us find you
in the Eucharist,
in those we love,
in strangers we meet, in the poor and needy;
in our sleep, in our work and in our play,
Let us watch for you
in our laughter and in our tears,
in the deep souls of everyone we meet
every day in the dusk and in the dark of night.
Give us courage to stand against injustice and oppression.
Let us trust and know you are with us,
as we walk in the dry deserts of our lives.
CONCLUDING RITE
Concluding Prayer
L: Lord God,
we seek security and certainty,
something we can see and hold on to.
It is fearful for us to walk in the dark,
and not to know where the road leads.
Help us to serve you in the present
and to be ready to follow you in the future.
Through Christ our Lord.
A: Amen.
Blessing
L: The Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and lead us to everlasting life.
A: Amen.
L: Go in the peace of Christ.
A: Thanks be to God.
Conclude with a hymn. For instance:
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