LORD, DO YOU NOT CARE?
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: “Where are you, Lord, when we suffer?” “Why is there evil in the world?” In a world with violence and war, with economic and moral crises, God seems far away and indifferent to our fears and anxieties; he sleeps! The Lord’s answer: “Why are you so afraid? I am with you! Have faith in me.”
We express our trust that with the Lord we can overcome all evil and trials.
Penitential Rite
L: Let us ask the Lord here among us to forgive us our lack of trust in him and to command the waves of fear in us to keep quiet and to leave us in peace.
Pause
L: Lord Jesus, you were with the disciples during the storm,
and you are with us during our storms: Lord, have mercy.
A: Lord, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you commanded the waves to be quiet,
and you urge us to have faith in you: Christ, have mercy.
A: Christ, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you are the Lord
whom even wind and sea obey: 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: In the beginning, O God,
your Word subdued the chaos;
in the fullness of time
you sent Jesus, your Son,
to bring forth a new creation.
By that same power,
transform our fear into faith
in your saving presence.
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 Job 38:1, 8-11
Psalm Psalm 107:23-24, 25-26, 28-29, 30-31
Response Give thanks to the Lord, his love is everlasting.
Reading 2 2 Corinthians 5:14-17
Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia.
A great prophet has risen in our midst
God has visited his people.
Gospel Mark 4:35-41
Reflection on the Readings
Use one of the following ways to reflect on the readings.
Lectio Divina
Imagine you are in the boat with the disciples. What are your thoughts and feelings during the storm, when you see Jesus asleep, when you hear him rebuke the wind and it ceases?
Sunday Snippets
Monty had severely handicapped limbs, the result of polio. Through dogged determination, he got a degree and a job. Then he developed a vision problem; doctors discovered that his retinas were becoming detached. Monty found himself facing blindness and immobility.
We can identify with Monty’s experience. There is so much turmoil and suffering in our lives. When we think things have quieted down, more turmoil erupts. We wonder how much more can we take!
That’s probably the unasked question in the disciples’ minds in today’s gospel!
The incident happens after a long teaching session which made “it impossible for them even to eat.” Jesus decides to cross to the other side of the lake, the only way they can leave the crowd behind.
As soon as they embark, they face one of the sudden windstorms that often whip up the Sea of Galilee. These veteran sailors panic as the boat begins to fill up. Where is Jesus? He is oblivious to what is going on and is – Mark puts it vividly – asleep on a cushion.
Tired after handling crowds, they must battle a windstorm with the master asleep! How much more can they take? They cry out: “Do you not care that we are perishing?”
Let’s return to Monty! He grew bitter. Then he noticed happenings around him: his co-workers carolled at Christmas; his neighbours held campaigns to raise funds; a surgeon volunteered to operate. Post-surgery, his eyes were fine. Monty said that he felt loved and cared for, and a deep sense of God’s love. He was in a storm but a storm in which he discovered God was with him.
The disciples, too, discovered that God was with them during that storm! Roused out of sleep, Jesus rebukes the wind and the sea. In commanding the sea, Jesus affirms his power over chaos and evil (in Jewish mentality, the sea is a reminder of the primitive chaos); he shows that he is Lord.
Mark’s Christian community saw this event as a sign of Jesus’ saving presence amid persecutions that threatened its existence.
There are times God seems absent or oblivious. Like the disciples, we want to cry out: “Do you not care...” We’d do well to recall the opening phrase of the First Reading: “The Lord addressed Job out of the storm.” The same Lord addressed the disciples during the storm on the Sea of Galilee. The same Lord addresses us during our storms—within and without.
During the storms in my life, do I believe that Jesus is on board with me, and can I hear him address me?
To journey with Jesus is to journey through storms, not around them! These may disturb our peace but will not overcome us because the Lord is with us saying “Quiet! Be still!” to the storms… and to us. Why, then, am I still afraid?
Questions to Ponder
Reflect on some (or all) of the following questions:
Reading 1: “The Lord addressed Job in a storm.” Have I experienced God addressing me in the storms of my life? How did I respond to his voice?
Reading 2: “The love of Christ impels us.” What does the love of Christ “impel” me to do? What actions do I perform because I love Christ that I might not otherwise perform?
Gospel: Do I believe that this man who shares our human vulnerability also has the power of the Creator? What effect does this belief have on my “storm management”?
The Creed
Prayer of the Faithful
L: God is with us in the storms of our life. Let us express our trust in him and intercede for all who journey through life, and pray: Lord, hear our prayer.
R: For the Church: that its faith and love may not waver in the difficulties and storms of our time, we pray…
R: For the world: that God may open communication between people of diverse cultures and ethnic groups so that they may build trust and promote justice for everyone, we pray…
R: For all who are ill: that God may restore the sick to health and strengthen all caregivers, we pray…
R: For all who are recovering from heatwaves and storms: that God may curb the extremes of nature, ease the suffering of those impacted, and fill their hearts with hope, we pray…
R: For stewardship of earth’s resources: that we care for God’s lifegiving creation, and work to attain the goals of energy transition, reduced global warming, and protection of life for all, we pray…
R: For ourselves: that God may calm our storms, sustain us through the challenges of each day, give us the courage to make decisions and hope when we cannot foresee tomorrow, we pray…
L: Lord our God, why should we still be afraid when we know your Son Jesus is with us? Give us his peace and let it last always. 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
Raging waves of discord break all around us
and squalls scream through our lives.
Out of sinking boats, we call,
“We are going down!
Jesus, save us!”
Lord,
Calm our storms.
“Quiet! Be still,”
we long to hear you say!
Give us faith to know that
in climate crisis or sunny days,
hungry or well fed
homelessness or housed,
in sickness or health,
you never leave our boat.
Lord of wind and sea,
may we be deeply aware of your presence.
- adapted from Anne Osdieck, Prayer Path.
CONCLUDING RITE
Concluding Prayer
L: God of power and might,
when we cry to you in the tempests of life,
reassure us that you care for us
and that you are with us
even when you seem absent.
Let our faith remain calm and peaceful
and deepen it in every trial.
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