QUENCHING THE THIRST FOR “MORE”
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: Television shows like “Kaun Banega Crorepati” and “Minute to Win It” are based on the contestants’ skills and spirit of adventure, and on the human desire for “more”. Contestants are willing to gamble on their knowledge and skill to get that extra money. “Yeh Dil Maange More” is not just a tagline for a popular soft drink; it is a tagline for humans: all of us want more.
We pray that we may quench our thirst for more in God and his love.
Penitential Rite
L: For the moments when we tried to fill our emptiness with everything and everyone but God, we ask his pardon.
Pause
L: Lord Jesus, you are the Wisdom of God,
more precious that every treasure in the world: Lord, have mercy.
A: Lord, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you are the Word of God,
living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword: Christ, have mercy.
A: Christ, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you invite us to give up our possessions
and 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: God of wisdom,
whose word probes our motives,
with you all things are possible.
Let worldly treasure not keep us from Jesus,
who looks on us with love.
Free us to leave all things and follow him,
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 Wisdom 7:7-11
Psalm Psalm 90:12-13, 14-15, 16-17
Response Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!
Reading 2 Hebrews 4:12-13
Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Gospel Mark 10:17-30
Reflection on the Readings
Use one of the following ways to reflect on the readings.
Lectio Divina
Imagine you are with Jesus when the young man approaches him. What are your thoughts and feelings when you hear his interaction with Jesus?
Sunday Snippets
In The Success Syndrome, Steven Berglas writes that individuals who “suffer” from success crave more.
He cites the case of Dennis Levine, who was convicted of insider trading in the 1980s. Levine did not need the money from insider trading but said that when his income was $100,000, he hungered for $200,000; when he was making $1 million, he hungered for $3 million. Berglas comments: “People, who find that $200,000 did not make them happy, strangely never ask themselves why they thought $300,000 would make them happy… but keep craving for more.”
None of us are big-league cravers, but all of us are constantly seeking more. This desire for “more” is at the heart of today’s liturgy.
The young man in the gospel comes to Jesus seeking something more. He has kept the commandments and led a righteous life. Deep down he knows something is missing. How can he fill this void? Jesus’ solution: “Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor…; then come follow me.”
But the man fails in his quest for “more” on three counts:
First, he had many possessions. He is “rich” not because he is wealthy but because he is dependent on himself and his resources.
Second, he lived selfishly. He was rich but was unwilling to share his resources.
Third, he fails to understand the incomparable grace of following Jesus. He is unlike Solomon, who (in the first reading) discovers that Wisdom is superior to all else in his life.
Like Dennis Levine and the young man, we constantly want more.
How do I quench this desire for more: with people? with things? with gadgets and gizmos? with habits and addictions? What are my “possessions”?
Today’s liturgy reminds us that our craving for “more” can be satisfied only by God.
Berglas’ prescription for a cure for the success syndrome: “What’s missing in these people is deep commitment or religious activity that goes far beyond just writing a check to a charity.” What’s missing, in a word, is God!
Blaise Pascal puts this beautifully: “There is a vacuum in the heart of every man [and woman]; a God-shaped vacuum which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus”!
May I allow God to fill the vacuum in my heart; may I quench my thirst for more with him and his love.
Questions to Ponder
Reflect on some (or all) of the following questions:
Reading 1: If I were given a choice, what would I choose: prudence or “sceptre and throne”?
Reading 2: Do motives and attitude colour my decision-making? Are my motives/ in good order, or could they use a realignment?
Gospel: What are my “possessions”? Are possessions themselves the difficulty, or is it clinging to them? Or is the problem the inner drive to own and accumulate? How can I control/channelise this drive?
Can the unbridled desire to possess be an obstacle to world peace or ecological sustainability? How?
The Creed
Prayer of the Faithful
L: Let us pray to God for the wisdom to appreciate his gifts and the grace to use them for the good of all: Lord, hear our prayer.
R: For the Church: that we may experience God looking upon us with love and respond generously to what he asks of us today, we pray…
R: For the Synod of Bishops: that God may guide the Church in listening to the Holy Spirit so that we may deepen our communion and be more faithful to the mission of evangelization and reconciliation, we pray…
R: For the leaders of nations: that God may give them wisdom to ponder world events and courage to address crucial issues for the common good, we pray…
R: For all who are ill: that God may heal the sick, strengthen those facing a long recovery, and renew all who are caring for them, we pray…
R: For commitment to care for our common home: that we may each take responsibility for the quality of the air and water that affects every person, we pray…
R: For ourselves: that we may recognize the limits of power, beauty, fame, and wealth, and learn to trust God who alone fulfils all our needs and wants, we pray…
L: God and Father, we pray not for riches but for trust, not for power but for courage, not for pleasure but for joy, not for pretence but for integrity. Make us wise with your wisdom. 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,
everything I treasure and hold dear
may I gladly hand over to you
for an ounce of your precious wisdom,
for your Word which cuts through my clutter,
reads my moods and motives, and bares my secrets.
Look upon me and love me.
Grant me the grace
to give freely to the needy;
to cling not to possessions and power and people
but to you, who are my everything.
May I cherish the gifts you have given me,
and give them back in service to you and your people.
May I quench my thirst for more in you and your love.
CONCLUDING RITE
Concluding Prayer
L: Lord our God,
you give the first place in your kingdom
to the last and the least;
you call the poor rich and blessed.
Give us, we pray you, the wisdom
of living for the things that matter
and following your Son on the road
to you and to our neighbour.
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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