THE MARK OF A CHRISTIAN
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: The tag line for Old Spice reads “the Mark of a Man”. Today’s readings give us “the Mark of a Christian”. Jesus tells us that the mark of his disciples should be that we love one another as he has loved us. Let us ask him to make us love one another the way he has loved us.
Penitential Rite
L: For the times we have not loved as Jesus has loved us, we ask the Lord’s pardon.
Pause
L: Lord Jesus, you give us a new commandment to love one another as you loved us:
Lord, have mercy.
A: Lord, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you showed your love for us by giving us your body and blood:
Christ, have mercy.
A: Christ, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you showed your love for us by giving your life for us:
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: We behold your glory, O God,
in the love shown by your Son,
lifted on the cross and exalted on high.
Increase our love for one another,
that we may be disciples of the Lord Jesus
and so reflect by our lives
the glory that is yours.
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 Acts 14:21-27
Psalm Psalm 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13
Response I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or: Alleluia.
Reading 2 Revelation 21:1-5a
Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia.
I give you a new commandment, says the Lord:
love one another as I have loved you.
Gospel John 13:31-33a, 34-35
Reflection on the Readings
Use one of the following ways to reflect on the readings.
Lectio Divina
Imagine you are in the Upper Room with Jesus and his disciples. What are your thoughts and feelings when you hear him say: “As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another”?
Sunday Snippets
The renowned artist Paul Gustave Dore once lost his passport while travelling. When he came to a border crossing, he hoped the guard would recognize him and allow him to pass. The guard, however, said that many made false claims. Dore insisted that he was the man he claimed to be. The official said: “We’ll give you a test, and if you pass it, we’ll allow you to go through.” Handing him a pencil and a sheet of paper, he told the artist to sketch several peasants standing nearby. Dore did it so quickly and skilfully that the guard was convinced he was indeed the artist he claimed to be. Dore’s action confirmed his identity.
What is the identification mark of a Christian?
For Jesus the identification mark of Christians is not the way we dress, not uniforms and habits, but the way we live: “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples…” (John 13:34-5). Love is the Christian identification mark.
Two things to note:
First, Jesus’ command is not that we like one another. To like or not is rooted in our emotions; emotions do not respond to commands. The love about which Jesus speaks is a way of acting towards another that wills his/her good. Love is a decision and an action.
Second, Jesus gives us a standard to measure this love: “as I have loved you.” That is a lofty standard indeed!
The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles recounts how Paul and Barnabas lived this command: they travelled extensively to strengthen the spirit of the disciples. The result: they made a considerable number of disciples.
It is up to us now to love like Jesus and to encourage one another as Paul and Barnabas did. May we live in such a way that through us people begin to have a glimpse of the unbounded and unconditional love that God has shown us in Christ.
Do I bear the Christian identification mark? What am I going to do to love those around me—in my family, in my community—as Jesus loved me?
Questions to Ponder
Reflect on some (or all) of the following questions:
Reading 1: Acts refers to its author “undergoing some hardships.” Could these be connected to the “new commandment” that Jesus gives? What about me? Have I faced hardships when I have tried to live the commandment to love my neighbour?
Reading 2: “He will wipe every tear from their eyes.” Can I think of times God has wiped away my tears? How can God wipe others’ tears away through me?
Gospel: How do I follow the command to “love one another”? Will others know that I am a disciple of Jesus by the way I live my life?
The Creed
Prayer of the Faithful
L: Jesus reminds us today that love is the fundamental law of Christianity. Let us pray to God our Father that love may not remain an empty word: Lord, hear our prayer.
R: For the Church: that we may be known as disciples of Jesus by the love and care that we show one another, we pray…
R: For the human family: that God may turn minds and hearts from violence and open new ways for dialogue, we pray…
R: For all who have been displaced by war, famine, or natural disasters: that God may protect them from harm, touch the hearts of many to reach out and assist them, and lead them to places of safety, we pray…
R: For greater care of earth’s resources: that we may honour God’s creation through caring for the earth and its resources, we pray…
R: For ourselves: that God may guide us in deepening our relationships, encouraging one another along life’s journey, and caring for one another, we pray…
L: God, our loving Father, keep us united and help us take to heart your Son’s command of love. Let us strive to love one another as he has loved us, unconditionally and totally. 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 said that the mark of your disciples
should be that we love one another as you loved us.
How did you love us?
You reached out to all people,
especially to those whom the rest of the world shunned;
you performed “menial” tasks: slave-work like washing dusty feet;
your love encompassed the bluster of Peter,
the ambition of James and John, the self-righteousness of Paul.
Your love knew no limit: you gave your life for us.
That is our standard: “As I have loved you”!
Lord, that is a lofty standard.
My love remains brittle and fickle;
it will always fall short.
Give me a bit of your own love,
make it reliable and lasting like yours,
ever respectful of people,
always inventive and new,
and reaching out especially to the poor and the unloved.
Could it be said of me, of us,
as of the first Christians:
“See how they love one another”?
CONCLUDING RITE
Concluding Prayer
L: God, loving Father,
you made us aware of the depth of your love
when your Son laid down his life for us.
Let our love bear witness
to all the love we have received from you,
that our efforts to spread your joy and justice
may lead people to recognize 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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