BE A HI-FI CHRISTIAN
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: The Lord has entrusted us with a huge mission: to build up his Kingdom. But often we are scared to take the risks needed for this mission; we fail to invest the resources God has given us. We ask the Lord to make us respond fully and faithfully to his deep trust in us.
Penitential Rite
L: For the times we have not been faithful to our mission, for the times we have not risked for our mission, we ask the Lord for his mercy.
Pause
L: Lord Jesus, you came to set us free from all fear: Lord, have mercy.
A: Lord, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you have entrusted to us the future of your kingdom: Christ, have mercy.
A: Christ, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you have made us stewards of your word and love: 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 kind and loving Father,
you no longer call us servants but friends.
There is so much you have entrusted to us,
even your kingdom of justice and love.
Give us the grace to work out with you
the growth of goodness in this world.
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 Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31
Psalm Psalm 128:1-2, 3, 4-5
Response Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Reading 2 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6
Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia.
Remain in me as I remain in you, says the Lord.
Whoever remains in me bears much fruit.
Gospel Matthew 25:14-30
Reflection on the Readings
Use one of the following ways to reflect on the readings.
Lectio Divina
Imagine you are one of the disciples listening to the parable about the talents. What thoughts and feelings does the parable evoke?
Sunday Snippets
As a child, Norman Geisler—the famous theologian and author—went to a vacation bible school because some friends invited him. He returned to the same church for Sunday school. Each week a bus driver picked him up. For eight years, he attended church, but never was never baptised. Finally, during his senior year in high school, after being picked up over 400 times, he was baptised.
What if the bus driver had given up on Geisler at 395? What if the bus driver had said: “This kid is going nowhere spiritually, why waste time on him?” (cf. Max Lucado, God Came Near). What if!
That unknown bus driver was a hi-fi (high-fidelity) Christian. He stuck to the task entrusted to him.
That’s the challenge Jesus puts before us in this Sunday’s gospel: fidelity to our God-given mission.
The parable of the talents is not about using/multiplying our skills! A talent was fifteen years’ wages, and—in the parable—symbolises something of great value to the Lord and which he entrusted to his servants. It represents his word (love, forgiveness…): those who transmit it find that it multiplies, those who study it find their understanding of it deepens (Isaiah 55:10-12), and those who bury it find its value diminishes.
The first reading has a similar thrust: it glorifies “a worthy wife” not for her talents and gifts but for her fidelity to her responsibility.
Such fidelity implies risk-taking! The chief aim of the Scribes and Pharisees was to keep the law exactly as they had received it. Their mission was to “build a fence around the law.” There can be no religion without risk, adventure, and enterprise. Willingness to dare is an essential part of our faith.
Am I faithful to my God-given mission of doing my daily duty and of proclaiming his word? Or does fear (of failure, rejection, judgement) prevent me from being faithful?
May I be a hi-fi Christian and faithfully communicate God’s love, word, and forgiveness to all people.
Questions to Ponder
Reflect on some (or all) of the following questions:
Reading 1: Do I see a connection between the woman portrayed in the first reading with the wise servant portrayed in the Gospel?
Reading 2: “The day of the Lord will come like a thief at night.” What am I doing to “stay alert and sober” for the coming of the Lord?
Gospel: What precious gift has God entrusted to me? How am I using it to build his kingdom? How do my fears keep me from living the life God calls me to live?
What is my attitude towards the resources of the earth? Am I a diligent steward?
What is my attitude towards the resources of the earth? Am I a diligent steward?
The Creed
Prayer of the Faithful
L: What we are and have belongs to God. We place everything in the service of God, his Church and his people, and pray: Lord, hear our prayer.
R: For the Church: that we may not be afraid to risk accepting the pains of renewal in Christ and bringing to all God’s message of hope and life, we pray…
R: For leaders of governments: that the Spirit may give them insight to awaken them to the value and potential of human life, we pray…
R: For all who are facing responsibilities that seem overwhelming: that God may give them courage, help them to see the small steps they need to take, and deepen their trust in him who is always with them, we pray…
R: For all who are seeking employment: that God may lead them to opportunities to use their gifts in life-giving and productive ways, we pray…
R: For those who are ailing: that God may bring them healing and strength to their caregivers, we pray…
R: For ourselves: that God may free us from paralyzing fear, help us to be alert, and avoid the numbing effects of consumerism, escapism, and selfishness, we pray…
L: God our Father, grant that we may be aware of the gifts you have entrusted to us, be good stewards of these gifts, and diligently utilize them in the service of you and our neighbour. 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,
my life with all that I am and have
is not mine to possess;
it is a trust from you.
It is a loan from you,
not to kept safely in a “hole in the ground”
but to work with as best I can,
faithfully, diligently,
according to my abilities.
Lord, thank you for entrusting me
with your word, your love, your forgiveness.
Give me the grace and the courage
to proclaim your word,
to spread your love,
to share your forgiveness,
and to serve you and your people.
Let me do my part
to bring healing to the earth,
sow beauty in all creation,
and thus share in your joy.
CONCLUDING RITE
Concluding Prayer
L: Lord our God,
when you ask for an account
of what we have done with our lives,
may we hear from your own lips
that we have been good and faithful servants
who did much with the little we had,
and that we may enter your lasting joy.
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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