I AM A CHILD OF GOD…
… AND WHAT A DIFFERENCE IT MAKES!
INTRODUCTORY RITES
Gather together 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: There are times when we feel discouraged by the trials of life. We feel down and out. At such times, we need to “go up the mountain to pray” to discover our identity. Then we discover that it is not our qualifications and achievements that give us our identity but that we are children of God; we are renewed and can resolutely face the challenges of life.
We pray that we may discover our identity as God’s children.
Penitential Rite
L: For the times we have tried to find our identity from things and people, for the moments we have not lived as God’s children, let us ask the Lord to pardon us.
Pause
L: Lord Jesus, you are the chosen and beloved Son of God:
Lord, have mercy.
A: Lord, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you were transfigured on Mount Tabor:
Christ, have mercy.
A: Christ, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you accomplished your glory through the cross on Mount Calvary:
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.
Opening Prayer
L: God of the covenant,
your presence fills us with awe,
your word gives us unshakeable hope.
Fix in our hearts
the image of your Son in glory,
that, sustained on the path of discipleship,
we may pass over with him to newness of life.
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 Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18
Psalm Psalm 27:1, 7-8, 8-9, 13-14
Response The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Reading 2 Philippians 3:17—4:1
Acclamation
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.
From the shining cloud the Father’s voice is heard:
This is my beloved Son, hear him.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.
Gospel Luke 9:28b-36
Reflection on the Readings
Use one of the following ways to reflect on the readings.
Lectio Divina
Imagine you are on the mountain with Jesus and his disciples. What are your thoughts and feelings when you see him transfigured and hear the voice from the cloud?
Sunday Snippets
Ben Hooper was a boy who grew up in the mountains of Tennessee. His mother bore him out of wedlock. People mistreated him: adults stared at him and made guesses about his father’s identity; children said ugly things to him… Ben kept away from them.
In his early teens, Ben was drawn to a local church. He would enter in time for the sermon and leave immediately… afraid he would meet people. One Sunday, Ben couldn’t make a quick exit. As he walked out, he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder; it was the preacher! Ben assumed that the preacher was about to make a guess about his father. And he did! The preacher said: “Boy, I know who you are. I see a striking resemblance. You’re a child of… God. Now, go claim your inheritance.” Ben left church that day a different person.
Later, Ben Hooper was twice-elected governor of Tennessee.
Ben’s discovery of his identity—as a child of God—transformed him and helped him become the person he became!
That’s something like what happened to Jesus on Mount Tabor.
Reading through Luke’s Gospel, it seems that Jesus is searching to discover his identity. A few verses before this passage, Jesus asks his disciples: “Who do people say I am? Who do you say I am?”
The question is important, and Jesus goes to pray. In prayer, the Father reveals who Jesus is: “This is my Son, the Chosen One.” The confirmation of his identity transforms and transfigures him. It also gives Jesus his mission. Moses and Elijah talk to Jesus about “his exodus, which he was to accomplish in Jerusalem.” The exodus of the Hebrews was a struggled-filled journey, a coming to life through suffering. The transfiguration reveals to Jesus that his path to glory is via Jerusalem and empowers him to walk the road to suffering and death.
In and through our prayer, we need to discover our identity as children of God. This discovery will transfigure us, help us deal with our struggles, and strengthen us to face our “Jerusalem”.
Questions to Ponder
Reflect on some (or all) of the following questions:
Reading 1: God promised Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars. Where do I fall on the continuum where blind trust is required of me?
Reading 2: Is my mind occupied with earthly things? Who or what helps me in my struggle towards my “citizenship in heaven”?
Gospel: What sustains me in moments of trial: prayer or something else?
Am I aware of my identity as a child of God? How does this awareness influence my thoughts/ words/ deeds?
The Creed
Prayer of the Faithful
L: In the name of Jesus, who was transfigured while at prayer, let us offer our intercessions for ourselves and for the world, and pray: Lord, hear our prayer.
R: For the Church: that we may listen to God’s beloved Son and be transformed by his words, we pray…
R: For the world: that God may bring an end to the violence in war-torn areas of the world, protect the innocent from harm, and help peace negotiations to begin, we pray…
R: For all who are on a journey, physical or spiritual: that they may know God’s presence each step along the way and rely upon his light and truth to guide their steps, we pray…
R: For the ailing and aging: that they may know God’s presence each step along the way and rely upon his light and truth to guide their steps, we pray…
R: For greater care of creation: that we may understand our place in creation and our impact on the web of life, we pray…
R: For ourselves: that we may grow in our covenant relationship with God and our understanding of our identity as daughters and sons of God, we pray…
L: Loving God, you clothed your Son Jesus in transfigured glory. Listen to our prayers that we may grow in the awareness of our identity as your daughters and sons, and may one day share in that same glory. 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 are the beloved Son of the Father.
Over the noise and din of our lives,
help us to listen to the voice of your Father.
Stay by our side as we plough
through the dark earth of our lives:
hunger, unemployment,
racism, ethnic violence, climate change, war.
Show us your dazzling glory
hidden in the humdrum of our everyday wonderful lives.
Help us to realize
that despite everything
we are the beloved daughters and sons of God.
CONCLUDING RITE
Concluding Prayer
L: Lord our God,
on his journey to his suffering and death
you gave to your Son Jesus
a glimpse of the glory awaiting him.
In the drabness and sufferings of our life,
shine on us and all our brothers and sisters
a ray of hope that lifts us up
and sustains us on the way to you.
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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