BUILD BRIDGES NOT BARRIERS…
INTRODUCTORY RITES
Gather as a family/ community; create an environment appropriate for prayer (dress appropriately - switch off your phones...).
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: Material which is used to build walls/fences, barriers of all kinds, can be used to build bridges! What do we do when someone hurts us: do we build barriers or do we build bridges? The word of God today gives us guidelines for conflict resolution: carefrontation.
Let us pray for the courage to care-front one another, and to build not barriers but bridges.
Penitential Rite
L: For our failure to reconcile with those who have hurt us; for being at odds with creation, we ask the Lord’s pardon.
Pause
L: Lord Jesus, you came to reconcile us to one another and to the Father:
Lord, have mercy.
A: Lord, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you heal the wounds of sin and division:
Christ, have mercy.
A: Christ, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you challenge us to take the first step towards reconciliation:
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 our Father,
your Son has brought us together as a community.
When we are tempted to build barriers,
give us the strength
to care for one another, to dialogue with one another,
and to do all we can to remain
a living, forgiving, and welcoming community.
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 Ezekiel 33:7-9
Psalm Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
Response If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Reading 2 Romans 13:8-10
Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia.
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
Gospel Matthew 18:15-20
Reflection on the Readings
Use one of the following ways to reflect on the readings.
Lectio Divina
Imagine you are with Jesus and his disciples. He talks about correcting someone who sins against you. What are your thoughts and feelings? Does his strategy sound plausible to you? Why/ why not?
Sunday Snippets
In The Great Divorce, C. S. Lewis writes that hell is like a vast city inhabited only at the periphery; it has rows and rows of empty houses in the middle – empty because the residents quarrelled with their neighbours and moved. Then, they quarrelled with their new neighbours and moved again. This process of quarrel-move-quarrel slowly left the old neighbourhoods empty. Hell has gotten so large because everyone chose distance instead of honest confrontation.
Lewis’ picture is as true as it’s stark! When someone hurts us, it’s either fight or – more often than not – flight! “Let it be” is the preferred course of action… with one problem: we do not “let it be”!
In today’s gospel, Jesus sets guidelines for conflict resolution. He challenges us to seek reconciliation by talking to the person instead of about the person!
The first step is dialogue: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault…” DIALOGUE is not a finger-pointing venture; it is an honest, specific communication of perspectives/feelings.
If/when dialogue fails, if the other refuses to see his/her fault or rebuffs the attempt at reconciliation, resort to step two – DIPLOMACY: “If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you…”
If/when diplomacy also fails, move to step three: “Treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.” Is step three dissociation? That would be easy, but Jesus loved the Gentile and the tax collector, and never ceased to associate with them.
So, step three is perhaps DEEP LOVE (this is not affection!). This is what Paul tells the Romans (second reading): “Owe no one anything except to love one another… love does no wrong to a neighbour.”
The underlying reason behind this strategy is hinted at in the First Reading. The Lord tells Ezekiel to speak to people when they are wrong. This is to help them back to the community.
This pericope ends with a reminder that attempts at carefrontation must be in a context of prayer.
We can’t always make peace with those who hurt us, but we can and must still love them… unless we want to live in hell.
Will I resolve hurts through dialogue, diplomacy and deep love, and be reconciled with the people who have hurt me? Will I build barriers or build bridges? How will I restore my relationship with creation?
Questions to Ponder
Reflect on some (or all) of the following questions:
Reading 1: Do we have a shared responsibility for others, the world, for creation? In what way am I/ can I become a “watchperson”? How can I educate and warn others about the ecological crises facing us and threatening life as we know it on the planet?
Reading 2: Which ranks highest: how much I love? how much I do? how smart or powerful I am? In what way am I neighbour to those around me and to creation?
Gospel: How do I deal with conflict with others: do I carefront or do I prefer to ignore it? Why?
Why is not resolving conflict harmful for the other and for me?
Why is not resolving conflict harmful for the other and for me?
The Creed
Prayer of the Faithful
L: Jesus says: “If two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father.” Let us, then, together pray to God our Father: Lord, hear our prayer.
R: For the Church: that we may be a community that continues Christ’s mission of reconciling those who are estranged, we pray…
R: For the world: that God may guide leaders to speak the truth to one another and find ways to resolve differences through dialogue, we pray…
R: For the Synod: that the Spirit may open the minds and hearts of the participants and help them to recognize his promptings for the good of the Church, we pray…
R: For those affected by unresolved conflict: that all may work to restore relationships and promote the dignity of everyone, we pray…
R: For greater care for the earth: that we may deepen our gratitude for our world and may grow in openness to wiser and more just ways of caring for it, we pray…
R: For ourselves: that the Spirit may heal us of our wounds and free our hearts to forgive those who have injured or betrayed us, we pray…
L: God our Father, give us the grace to accept one another and to learn to live in harmony with one another. May we remember your goodness to us, and may we not tie our brothers and sisters to their sins and past mistakes. 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
Through each other’s defences
are all the tools to mend broken fences,
and all the means to make the other pay.
Bring your ledger – it’s judgment day.
But watch those mines and steely traps
the other laid when you turned your back.
An insurance plan – but you’ve got one too.
Who weighs up the cost when you both lose?
Just grab your tools and watch your step.
Leave the scales behind for lesser men.
Roll up your sleeves and start next door
the job of building bridges, for ever more.
CONCLUDING RITE
Concluding Prayer
L: God of power and might,
your Son has strengthened us in this celebration.
May we learn from him the art
of bringing those who err
back to you and into our communities.
May we grow in holiness,
in love of our neighbour,
and in reverence and care for your creation. 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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