HEEDING GOD’S CALL
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 Liturgy this morning reminds us that God calls each one of us for a specific mission. We need to hear the call, recognize that it is the Lord who calls, respond to it, and remain with him. We ask the Lord for his grace and his spirit to heed his call.
Penitential Rite
L: For our failure to listen to him, we ask his mercy.
Pause
L: Lord Jesus, you invited the disciples to “come and see”:
Lord, have mercy.
A: Lord, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you called your disciples to be “fishers of people”:
Christ, have mercy.
A: Christ, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you call us to follow you:
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: From our earliest days, O God,
you call us by name.
Make our ears attentive to your voice,
our spirits eager to respond,
that, having heard you in Jesus your anointed one,
we may draw others to be his disciples.
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 1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19
Psalm Psalm 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10
Response Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
Reading 2 1 Corinthians 6:13c-15a, 17-20
Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia.
We have found the Messiah:
Jesus Christ, who brings us truth and grace.
Gospel John 1:35-42
Reflection on the Readings
Use one of the following ways to reflect on the readings.
Lectio Divina
Imagine you are with John when he points to Jesus when the latter walks by. What are your thoughts and feelings when you hear John say: “Behold, the Lamb of God”?
What do you do: follow Jesus or stay with John? Why?
Sunday Snippets
One evening a professor was sorting mail. A magazine—delivered to him by mistake—fell open to an article titled: “The Needs of the Congo Mission.” He began reading it. These words gripped him: “The need is great here. We have no one to work in the northern province of Gabon in the Congo. It is my prayer that God will lay his hand on one—on whom the master’s eyes already rest—and that he or she will answer the call to help us.” The professor closed the magazine and wrote in his diary: “My search is over.” Albert Schweitzer gave himself to the Congo.
Schweitzer got his life’s calling after he “happened” to read an article which was not even his! People get their call in unique ways… as today’s readings attest.
God called Samuel. John pointed out Jesus to two of his disciples and Jesus invited them to “come and see”. Andrew told Simon that they had found the Messiah. Samuel, Andrew, Simon. Three different people. Three unique call stories.
There are, however, elements common to each call story:
Listening: God calls each for a plan he has. We need to listen for his call which is sometimes direct and clear, often indirect and subtle. We do not know how he calls us. One thing is certain: he will surprise us!
Recognising: We need help to recognize the Lord’s voice. Eli helped Samuel recognize that the voice he heard was God’s; John indicated the way to his disciples.
Responding: We need to say: “Here I am…”
Remaining: Samuel remained in the Lord’s temple; Andrew and the other disciple remained with Jesus two days. Discipleship is primarily remaining with the master.
God continues to call us to varied states in life, to varied ministries, for a unique mission in life.
Can I hear God calling me? Will I listen to his call, seek help to recognize it, respond to it, and remain with him?
Questions to Ponder
Reflect on some (or all) of the following questions:
Reading 1: Does God always call at the perfect time? Do I recognize God’s call right away? What is God calling me to do or be?
Reading 2: Do I believe in the resurrection? How does this belief impact my perspective on life and death?
Gospel: How have I heard the voice of the Lord? How can I follow Jesus more closely?
For what am I looking? Am I looking for things that truly matter? Do I spend time with Jesus?
How can I respond wholeheartedly to the Lord’s invitation?
The Creed
Prayer of the Faithful
L: In Baptism, God has called us to belong to him and to his people. Let us pray to our Father that we may always respond to his call in the concrete circumstances of life and let us pray: Lord, hear our prayer.
R: For the leaders of the Church: that they may have the courage to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ without compromise or fear, we pray…
R: For the world: that God may heal the divisions within and among nations, guide elected officials to fulfil their duties, and help them to work selflessly for the common good, we pray…
R: For those who seek God: that the Lord may enlighten their minds and stir their hearts to accept and love him, we pray…
R: For those discerning their life’s calling: that they, like Samuel, may say: “Speak Lord, your servant is listening” and offer their lives for the glory of God and the service of others, we pray…
R: For a spirit of stewardship: that we may care for and maintain God’s creation so that God may be honoured by its beauty and the uses of its resources, we pray…
R: For ourselves: that we may hear God’s word as a call and find strength to help one another on the way to him, we pray…
L: God our Father, we pray that we may perceive your presence and invitations through the words of scripture and our daily experiences, and heed your call to us. 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,
John’s disciples followed you
and stayed with you that day.
They found what they had been seeking.
Lord,
take me too to your space.
I want to spend time with you,
to remain with you.
When you call me—
whether out of sleep or when I am awake,
when I am with my friends or at work,
whether amid turmoil or when things are calm—
let me recognize your voice and say:
“Here I am, Lord!”
CONCLUDING RITE
Concluding Prayer
L: Father, you know us
and called us by our name.
May we hear and heed your word
to follow Jesus your Son.
May we remain in him,
that we may learn from him
how to live for you and for people.
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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