DISCIPLESHIP: COUNT THE COST AND COMMIT
INTRODUCTORY RITES
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:
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: We have gathered here this Sunday morning as disciples of Jesus. What does it mean to be a disciple? It means being absolutely committed to Jesus. Is Jesus “number one” in our lives? Or are there other values, persons and things that take priority over God?
Penitential Rite
L: For the times we have not lived as committed disciples, let us ask the Lord to pardon us.
Pause
L: Lord Jesus, you call us to absolute commitment
if we wish to be your disciples:
Lord, have mercy.
A: Lord, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you call us to total renunciation
if we wish to be your disciples:
Christ, have mercy.
A: Christ, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you were totally committed to your Father
and gave yourself completely on the cross:
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: God of the ages,
you call the Church
to keep watch in the world
and to discern the signs of the times.
Grant us the wisdom of your Spirit,
that we may proclaim your prophetic word
and complete the work you have given us.
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 9:13-18b
Psalm Psalm 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 and 17
Response In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Reading 2 Philemon 9-10, 12-17
Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia.
Let your face shine upon your servant;
and teach me your laws.
Gospel Luke 14:25-33
Reflection on the Readings
Use one of the following ways to reflect on the readings.
Lectio Divina
Imagine you are among the crowds travelling with Jesus. What are your thoughts and feelings when you hear him talk about “hating father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters” as a condition to be his disciple?
Sunday Snippets
Some time ago, a priest invited me to preach a retreat for his school boys. Since he is a good friend, I said yes. I did not consider my community and province responsibilities; I did not consider my health or that I’d have to manage a hundred boys. And I struggled. Before, during, and after! And I wished—quite often—that I had not said “yes”!
Have you ever felt that way? We accept invitations, take up tasks and responsibilities without realizing their demands, and then we either fail or struggle to honour our commitments.
Over the past few Sundays, the gospels have been about aspects of discipleship and Jesus’ invitation to follow him. Today he tells us that we need to know the cost of discipleship and consider whether we have the resources to meet the cost before we commit ourselves.
He uses two parables to stress the point: before beginning construction, a builder would work out the cost of his defence tower; before battle, a king would consider whether his outnumbered army would be able to face the enemy. The advice is clear: sit down, look at the demands, and figure out whether you can meet them.
There are two demands: total and unconditional loyalty (expressed in strange terms: “hating father-mother, wife-children, brothers-sisters”) and carrying one’s cross.
A clarification! In Aramaic, “hate” is not a feeling word; it is a priority word: to say that I love one and hate another means that I choose to carry out my commitment to one in preference to the other when the commitments are in conflict. No commitment, however important, can come before our commitment to God.
The second reading expresses the cost of discipleship for Philemon!
Were Philemon not a Christian, he could have killed Onesimus or punished him so severely that he would never again consider running away. But as a Christian dealing with a Christian, he had to accept the runaway slave and accept him as a brother!
What is the cost of discipleship for me?
Do I have to give up my hatreds and resentments against those who injured me? My attachments to people and things?
What are the commitments and relationships that I must hate so that I can commit myself to Jesus?
Questions to Ponder
Reflect on some (or all) of the following questions:
Reading 1: Does God give me help when I am unclear? Which does God prefer in us, perfect certainty or trusting in God?
Reading 2: How did Paul bring about a change or a conversion in Onesimus? What part does love play in any change for the better? Has love worked any change in my life?
Gospel: Is following Jesus a one-time choice or do I have to make it daily? Why?
Do crosses make discipleship desirable? Is there anything that makes me want discipleship, even though it involves crosses?
The Creed
Prayer of the Faithful
L: My sisters and brothers, conscious that we will always fall short in our commitment to follow the Lord, we pray for the grace to grow in our commitment, as we pray: Lord, hear our prayer.
R: For the Church: that we may strive to open our hearts to God each day and be vigilant against allowing anyone or anything to displace God as the centre of our life, we pray…
R: For the world: that God may enable peaceful resolution to conflicts, protect each person from harm, and bring forth justice in communities torn by violence and civil discord, we pray…
R: For all who are suffering for their discipleship or who are imprisoned or persecuted for their faith: that God may heal their pain, strengthen their spirit, and make strong and effective their Christian witness, we pray…
R: For all who are suffering: that all who feel trapped and burdened by life may seek new ways to address their pain and come to a new understanding of the dignity of human life, we pray…
R: For preservation of our common home: that God may inspire leaders to develop policies and practices that will preserve the natural systems that God designed for the earth so that all may benefit from earth’s resources, we pray…
R: For ourselves: that the Spirit of God may enlighten our minds and guide us to know the cost of discipleship and to commit ourselves to following Christ, we pray…
L: God our Father, your Son willingly sacrificed everything for love of you and of his people. Help us to be his disciples who follow in his footsteps to the cross and to you. We ask this 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 ask me to get my values straight
if I want to be your disciple.
You want me
to hate my loved ones and my own life,
that is to love them in proportion and after you;
to renounce all my possessions;
to carry my own cross just as you carried yours.
That, Lord, is the cost of discipleship!
Give me your grace
to be able to commit myself to be your disciple.
CONCLUDING RITE
Concluding Prayer
L: God our Father,
we have accepted your invitation
to follow your Son Jesus as his disciples.
Let your Spirit
give us the wisdom and strength
to take our faith seriously
and to accept our task in life
with all its consequences.
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:
No comments:
Post a Comment