THE MESSIANIC MISSION:
BRINGING GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR
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: Jesus, whose name means “God saves,” tells us today what “saving” means: he came to free us from all that alienates us from God and people, and to make us capable of liberating one another. That is the Good News he brings us.
We pray that we may experience this Good News and proclaim it.
Penitential Rite
L: For our failure to experience his liberating power, and for the times we have not proclaimed the Good News to the poor, we ask the Lord for forgiveness.
Pause
L: Lord Jesus, you proclaimed the Good News to the poor:
Lord, have mercy.
A: Lord, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you healed the sick and forgave sinners:
Christ, have mercy.
A: Christ, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you bring light to those in darkness:
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: Lord God,
whose compassion embraces all peoples,
whose law is freedom and joy for the poor,
fulfil in our midst your promise of favour,
that we may receive the gospel of salvation with faith
and, anointed by the Spirit, proclaim it.
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 Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10
Psalm Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 15
Response Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
Reading 2 1 Corinthians 12:12-30
Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia.
The Lord sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor,
and to proclaim liberty to captives.
Gospel Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21
Reflection on the Readings
Use one of the following ways to reflect on the readings.
Lectio Divina
Imagine you are in the synagogue in Nazareth on that sabbath. Jesus enters, reads from the scroll of Isaiah, sits down, and proclaims those astounding words: “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” What are your thoughts and feelings when you hear him?
Sunday Snippets
A Franciscan was assigned as a guide to Mother Teresa on her visit to Australia. Thrilled at the prospect of being close to this great woman, he dreamed of how much he would learn from her. Although he was constantly near her, he never managed to say one word to her.
Tour over, she was to fly to New Guinea. In desperation, the friar told her: “If I pay my own fare, can I sit next to you on the plane so I can talk to you and learn from you?” Mother Teresa asked: “You have enough money to pay airfare to New Guinea?”
“Yes,” he replied eagerly. She said: “Then give that money to the poor. You’ll learn more from that than anything I can tell you.”
Mother Teresa understood that Jesus’ ministry was to the poor. This is the thrust of today’s gospel.
The Gospel describes the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry with his inaugural sermon in his hometown. He entered the synagogue, stood up to read, unrolled the scroll of Isaiah and found the passage about the “anointed one”. He was searching for this passage! He read two verses (Isaiah 61:1-2) and delivered probably the shortest homily in history: “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing”!
With this loaded one-liner, Jesus announces his mission. He is the “anointed one” whom God has sent to bring good news to the poor. The second verse makes explicit this content of this good news: to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.
Right through his gospel, Luke will present Jesus bringing the good news to the poor. Several events/parables found only in Luke’s gospel—restoring to life the son of the widow of Naim, forgiving the “sinful woman” in Simon the Pharisee’s house, healing a crippled woman on the Sabbath, the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, the cure of the lepers, the encounter with Zacchaeus—are instances of this mission.
Jesus’ mission is our mission as individuals and as a community. Through baptism and confirmation, the spirit of the Lord is upon us. We, too, are called and sent to proclaim the good news to the poor… using the many gifts that God has given us as individuals and as a church as St Paul describes in the second reading.
How will I proclaim the good news to the (materially, spiritually, emotionally…) poor and broken-hearted today? In what way can I free the “captives”?
Questions to Ponder
Reflect on some (or all) of the following questions:
Reading 1: Why does Ezra say “today” is holy? What is significant about “today” for Jesus? Do I live in the past or the future? What happens to “now” if I spend all my time looking backward or forward?
Reading 2: Can I name some of my gifts? If I had a choice of gifts, which ones would I choose? Why? Are there gifts I have that I never use?
Gospel: From what sinful behaviours do I need God’s grace to free me? How can I help to free others from the chains of oppression, prejudice, and loneliness?
Jesus went to Nazareth, his hometown. People there knew him as Mary and Joseph’s son. Suddenly he claims to be the Messiah. What would my reaction have been to such a declaration?
The Creed
Prayer of the Faithful
L: We ask the Lord that his Word may enter our deepest selves, enlighten the darkness of our hearts, and free us to live as his daughters and sons, as we pray: Lord, hear our prayer.
R: For the Church: that we may recognize our identity as members of the Body of Christ and manifest the Good News in our lives, our families, and our workplaces, we pray…
R: For the leaders of nations: that God may give them a bigger vision and enable them to work for peace, we pray…
R: For all who are ill: that the healing mission of Jesus will continue through our care for the sick, and they may experience support and assistance from their faith community, we pray…
R: For those discerning their vocation: that God may lead them to people and experiences which will help them recognize how God is calling them to use their lives and gifts in the service of others, we pray…
R: For all who steward earth’s resources: that we may recognize creation as God’s gift to us and grow in awareness of our responsibility to care for the earth, we pray…
R: For ourselves: that we may allow the Lord to transform our lives, experience the joy that he brings, and share ourselves with others, we pray…
L: God our Father, let our families and communities grow in your love in mutual respect, in acceptance of one another, in justice and fairness to all. We make our prayer 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,
after returning from the exile,
Ezra worked long and hard
to restore the temple, the city, and the nation.
He then “read plainly” from the scroll that held “the book of the law.”
Their new era had begun!
Four centuries later,
you make a similar return!
You return to your hometown of Nazareth.
Like Ezra, you take up a scroll,
and read the passage,
which says that the Spirit of the Lord has sent you
to “bring glad tidings to the poor...
to let the oppressed go free…”
Your mission was to rebuild people’s hearts, not just their city,
to return them to God, who is their real home.
Would they accept this startling new epoch?
Lord,
your mission continues till this day.
May we understand your mission
and help you in it.
CONCLUDING RITE
Concluding Prayer
L: God our Father,
may we accept today
the year of grace Jesus proclaims.
May we bring your Good News
to the poor and to those in prison,
to the blind and the downtrodden,
that all may enjoy your happiness.
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:
