BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
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: We all have problems in life. We tend to close the doors, and to focus on ourselves and our problems. Today’s liturgy reminds us that the Risen Lord gives us his Spirit to empower us and challenges us to look beyond ourselves.
On this Divine Mercy Sunday, we pray that we may allow God’s Spirit to empower us to overcome fear and to not be locked-in on ourselves.
Penitential Rite
L: For the times we have been locked-in on ourselves and have given into fear, we ask the Lord to pardon us.
Pause
L: Lord Jesus, you give us your peace:
Lord, have mercy.
A: Lord, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you give us your Spirit:
Christ, have mercy.
A: Christ, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you forgive us our sins:
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 life,
through the waters of baptism
you have raised us up in Jesus
and given us life that endures.
Day by day refine our faith,
that we who have not seen the Christ
may truly confess him as our Lord and God
and share the blessedness of those who believe.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and 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 Acts 2:42-47
Psalm Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24
Response Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, his love is everlasting.
or: Alleluia.
Reading 2 1 Peter 1:3-9
Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia.
You believe in me, Thomas,
because you have seen me, says the Lord;
blessed are they who have not seen me,
but still believe!
Gospel John 20:19-31
Reflection on the Readings
Use one of the following ways to reflect on the readings.
Lectio Divina
Put yourself in the stead of one of the apostles. Reflect on your thoughts and feelings as you experience the presence of the risen Jesus in the room.
Sunday Snippets
After a lecture on mental health, Karl Menninger—the famous psychiatrist—answered audience questions. One person asked: “What would you advise a person to do if he/she felt a nervous breakdown coming on?” Duh! the obvious answer: see a counsellor! Menninger caught everyone off guard with his response: “Lock up your house… find someone in need and do something to help that person.”
Brilliant advice! And it applies to all sorts of situations: when you have problems of your own, get out of yourself.
That’s what the risen Jesus advises and commissions his disciples to do when he finds them “on the evening of that first day of the week” behind closed doors “for fear of the Jews”! He sends them out with the Spirit to proclaim God’s love and forgiveness.
A week later, he finds them still behind closed doors. Little wonder, then, that Thomas refused to believe that Jesus was risen. They were—in Pope Francis’ idiom—the first “Christian bats”!
They eventually do go out of the closed room. The result? They “suffer through various trials” (second reading). They also experience fellowship—sharing of material resources and spiritual moments—and growth (first reading).
A natural reaction when we are afraid is to focus inward. Sometimes the “unnatural” works better.
Moreover, our closed doors do not stop Jesus; he comes to us in our fear, doubts, confusion… with his peace and with his Spirit. He keeps returning week after week... in the word, in the bread and the wine. And he keeps sending us out of our closed rooms into a world that needs his gifts of life and peace.
What are the fears that keep me behind closed doors? What makes me a Christian bat?
May I live in the awareness that Jesus is always with me. May I get out, help those in need, and proclaim God’s love and forgiveness.
Questions to Ponder
Reflect on some (or all) of the following questions:
Reading 1: In what way do I contribute to the “common life” of my family and my parish community? Do I praise God and enjoy favour with all people?
Reading 2: When has my faith been tested? Does suffering make me bitter or better? “Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now yet believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy.” Do I love him, believe in him, and rejoice in him… and despite the trials of life?
Gospel: Do I experience the peace that Jesus gives? Do I trust in God’s empowering Spirit or do I remain locked-in within myself? Why?
“Jesus came in, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst.” Can any doors be locked tight enough to keep Christ out? Explain. Do I have any “locked doors”?
The Creed
Prayer of the Faithful
L: Jesus remained with his disciples after his resurrection and taught them to love all people. As his disciples in this age, we offer our prayers for the world and for people with whom we share it, as we pray: Lord, hear our prayer.
R: For the Church: that we may offer witness to Christ by being united in mind and spirit as we worship and serve the needs of others, we pray to the Lord…
R: For those in government: that they may work towards achieving true justice and lasting peace within their countries and with their neighbours, we pray to the Lord…
R: For all who struggle with faith: that the Word of God may open them to a relationship with him and enlighten their path to fuller life, we pray to the Lord…
R: For all who are ill: that the Risen Lord may bring newness of life to them and give them hope, strength, and healing, we pray to the Lord…
R: For a greater appreciation of creation: that as we experience the creator of all that exists, we may treat all of creation with greater reverence, we pray to the Lord…
R: For ourselves: that by devoting ourselves to listening to the Scriptures and growing in prayer, we may promote greater unity and cooperation in the Body of Christ, we pray to the Lord…
L: Loving God, give us your Spirit and strengthen our faith that people may see that we are a community of brothers and sisters. 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,
like your disciples,
we close ourselves to others out of fear.
Come right through our barricaded doors
and breathe your Spirit upon all of us.
Give us your peace
that comes from your perfect love of us.
Empower us
to not hoard such treasure;
but to give it out to all people.
Make us instruments of the power of your resurrection.
CONCLUDING RITE
Concluding Prayer
L: Living and loving God,
faithful women and men
proclaimed the good news of Jesus’ resurrection,
and the world was changed forever.
Teach us to keep faith with them,
that our witness may be as bold,
our love as deep,
and our faith as true.
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