U-TURN TO GOD
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: Today’s readings, like last Sunday’s, are a call, a call to repentance. They invite us to make a U-turn to God. We ask for his grace that we may leave behind whatever keeps us from him and turn back to him.
Penitential Rite
L: We ask the Lord’s forgiveness for the moments we have strayed and stayed away from him.
Pause
L: You were sent to heal the contrite of heart:
Lord, have mercy.
A: Lord, have mercy.
L: You came to call sinners:
Christ, have mercy.
A: Christ, have mercy.
L: You called your disciples to be “fishers of people”:
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: O God,
your word summons us to faith,
your power transforms our lives.
Free us to follow in Christ’s footsteps,
so that neither human loyalty
nor earthly attachment
may hold us back from answering your call.
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 Jonah 3:1-5, 10
Psalm Psalm 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
Response Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Reading 2 1 Corinthians 7:29-31
Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia.
The kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent and believe in the Gospel.
Gospel Mark 1:14-20
Reflection on the Readings
Use one of the following ways to reflect on the readings.
Lectio Divina
Imagine you are by the Sea of Galilee with Simon and Andrew. You hear Jesus say: “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” What are your thoughts and feelings when you hear this invitation? Do you follow Jesus or do you stay in the boat? Why?
Sunday Snippets
Wabush, a town in remote Canada, was completely isolated for some time. Then workers cut a road through the wilderness to reach it; Wabush had only one road leading into it, and thus, only one road leading out. If someone were to travel to Wabush, there is only one way he/she could leave: by turning around.
There comes a moment in our lives when we realise we are in a town called “sin”. As in Wabush, there is only one way out. We must turn around or “repent”. This is the thrust of today’s liturgy.
In the first reading, God sends Jonah to call the people of Nineveh to repentance. After Jonah reluctantly carries out this mission, the Ninevites repent.
In the gospel, Jesus begins his mission by announcing: “The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel!”
What is the “gospel”? It is the news found upon Jonah’s lips: God is gracious and compassionate to all, even to those who do not—in our assessment—deserve his grace and compassion.
What is repentance? The Greek for repent, metanoiein, means “to change one’s mind.” The Hebrew shûbh means to turn around 180 degrees, to reorient oneself toward God.
The call of the disciples that follows illustrates that “repent and believe in the gospel” does not mean merely to accept certain truths but to be attached to the person of Jesus, to follow him on his way—a way that challenges injustice and discrimination, that includes all, that leads to suffering and the cross.
For some, like the Ninevites, repentance is a radical turnaround from evil to accept God’s compassion. For others, like the disciples, it is a turnaround from their way of doing things to doing what God wants them to do.
For me, what would a U-turn to God involve? What are the “boats and nets” I need to abandon to follow the Lord?
Questions to Ponder
Reflect on some (or all) of the following questions:
Reading 1: What was God looking for in the Ninevites? Does God call me to conversion just once or over and over again? If I were Jonah today what message would I have for the people causing any kind of suffering or injustice?
Reading 2: Does the message in this reading concern preparation for the next life or happiness in this life? Does having my security rest in the goods of this world make me happy? Why/ Why not?
Gospel: In what areas of my life do I need “repentance”? What does it mean to follow Jesus and be his disciple today? How can I respond wholeheartedly to the Lord’s invitation?
The Creed
Prayer of the Faithful
L: Let us commend to God our Father the needs and sufferings of this world, and pray: Lord, hear our prayer.
R: For the Church: that we may hear God’s call to be instruments of his love and faithful witnesses to his message to our families and communities, we pray…
R: For Christian Unity: that God may heal the wounds of the past, lead all the baptized to offer a united witness to the Gospel, and offer greater service to our suffering and vulnerable neighbours, we pray…
R: For the leaders of nations: that God may inspire their understanding of current issues and guide them in addressing the economic, healthcare, and safety issues of our society, we pray…
R: For all who are alienated or disconnected from God: that the Spirit may redirect their hearts to the life and wholeness that is found in a relationship with God, we pray…
R: For all who are ill: that God may heal the sick, protect the vulnerable, and strengthen healthcare workers, we pray…
R: For greater care for the earth: that we may be good stewards of the earth and protect its resources, we pray…
R: For ourselves: that we may allow the Word to penetrate our hearts, call us to life, and motivate us to serve God lovingly, 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,
you persisted in calling Jonah.
When you call me, Lord,
let me turn to you and not run away.
When I think I have turned as far and as often as I can,
help me turn again.
Lord,
let me not kid myself that following your call
will be placid, satisfying, and without ambiguity!
I have prejudices about what I want and how things ought to go.
Sometimes, or perhaps even often,
I ask you to do my will, rather than the opposite.
Let me grow, just like Jonah and the apostles did.
Strengthen me to leave my old life aside
for a new life that is unimaginably enriching.
CONCLUDING RITE
Concluding Prayer
L: God our Father,
you tell us through Jesus your Son
that it is time for us
to repent and believe in the Good News.
Give us the courage to entrust ourselves
without fear and hesitation to Jesus
and to follow him wherever he leads us.
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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