EUCHARISTIC ADORATION
THROUGH THE LITURGICAL YEAR (# 48)
A Weekly Pastoral Tool for the YEAR OF THE EUCHARIST
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
October 23-29, 2005
“The Greatest Commandment”
(+) In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
(A moment of silence)
SONG: Any suitable Eucharistic hymn or any appropriate song may be sung.
WORDS OF ST. TERESA OF AVILA
The Lord asks only two things of us: love for his Majesty and love for our neighbor. It is for these two virtues that we must strive, and if we attain them perfectly we are doing his will and so shall be united with him … The surest sign that we are keeping these commandments is, I think, that we should really be loving our neighbor: for we cannot be sure if we are loving God, although we may have good reasons for believing that we are, but we can know quite well if we are loving our neighbor. And be certain that, the farther advanced you find you are in this, the greater the love you will have for God.
SILENT ADORATION
OPENING PRAYER
Leader: Almighty and ever-living God,
give us the grace of perfect love
that we may respond to you with all our heart - the center of knowing and feeling, with all our soul - the principle of life and seat of energy,
and with all our mind - the center of perception.
May we love our neighbor as ourselves.
Help us to carry out devotedly what you ask of us.
May we come to share in the fullness of joy in eternal life.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Assembly: Amen.
Part I
JESUS MASTER TRUTH
Listening to the Word
GOSPEL READING: Mt 22:34-40
PERSONAL REFLECTION
(As a tool for personal reflection, please visit the PDDM Website: www.pddm.org // www.pddm.us for BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD [# 48]: A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy. The Biblico-Liturgical Reflections are an aid for a deeper understanding of the Gospel reading.)
SONG: Any Eucharistic hymn or suitable song of praise may be sung.
Part II
JESUS MASTER WAY
Confrontation with the Word
POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART
Leader: We open our hearts to listen to the promptings of the living Word. Let us ask ourselves with limpid honesty:
1. Do we love God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind? Do we love him with everything we have: a love that is whole-hearted, dynamic, and carried out with conviction, courage and commitment?
2. How do we carry out the fraternal and social aspect of the divine command of love? Do we love our neighbor as ourself? Do we see the intimate connection between our faith in God and our relationship with our neighbor? Do we realize that it is really when we love God that human beings become deeply lovable?
3. In humility, do we ask the Lord God to grant us this perfect love of neighbor? Do we endeavor to shoulder some trial in order to relieve our neighbor of it? Do we treasure the love that our Spouse had for us when he died a grievous death on the cross to save us?
PRAYER
Leader: Jesus said: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind … You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mt 22:37, 39).
Assembly: “This is my prayer to thee, my Lord – strike, strike at the penury in my heart. Give me strength never to disown the poor or bend my knees before insolent might, and give me the strength to surrender my strength to thy will with love.” (Rabindranath Tagore)
Leader: Jesus said: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind … You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mt 22:37, 39).
Assembly: “Grant me to recognize in other men, Lord God, the radiance of your face.” (Teilhard de Chardin)
Leader: Jesus said: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind … You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mt 22:37, 39).
Assembly: “Give us patience and fortitude to put self aside for you in the most unlikely people: to know that every man’s and any man’s suffering is our own first business, for which we must be willing to go out of our way and leave our own interests” (Caryll Houselander)
SONG: Any suitable song may be sung.
Part III
JESUS LIFE
Acting upon the Word
PERSONAL PRAYER
CONTEMPLATING WITH MARY THE FACE OF CHRIST: The Mysteries of Light of the Rosary may be prayed in part or in full.
THE WAY OF SOLIDARITY: PRAYER OF INTERCESSION
Leader: Let us pray to God who cares for all, and with earnest humility say:
(R.) LORD, HEAR OUR PRAYER.
1. As we celebrate World Mission Sunday, in this year dedicated to the Eucharist, may we better understand the “Eucharistic” sense of our life and the demands of God’s twofold command of love of him and love of neighbor.
2. As we contemplate Jesus in the “breaking of the bread” offered for the whole of humanity, may we follow his example and offer our life for our brothers and sisters, especially those most in need.
3. As human society appears to be shaken by tragic events and shattered by catastrophic natural disasters, may we perceive more strongly the presence in the Eucharist of the Redeemer, who continues through the centuries to show compassion for the poor and suffering.
4. As we become more united with Christ, “Bread broken for the life of the world”, through our celebration each Sunday, the day of the Lord, may the Eucharist lead us to be generous evangelizers, actively committed to building a more just and fraternal world.
5. As we experience the fullness of blessing in this Year of the Eucharist, may every Christian community respond with fraternal solicitude to the many forms of poverty present in our world.
6. As we increase our awareness of the urgent necessity of the mission of the Church today, may we generously support the Pontifical Mission Societies with spiritual and material help.
7. As we lovingly gaze upon Mary, the “woman of the Eucharist”, may our Christian communities be always open to the voice of the Spirit and to the needs of humanity.
(Other prayers may be added.)
THE LORD’S PRAYER
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Leader: Our loving and compassionate God,
you love us unconditionally
and you gave your only Son Jesus Christ
as “Bread broken for the life of the world”.
Help us to live fully your great command of love
so that, as Christian believers and missionaries in today’s world,
we may offer ourselves totally with Christ.
In the Eucharistic feast and in solidarity with the poor,
may we be transformed into “bread broken for the life of the world”.
We love you and devotedly serve you in our neighbors.
You live and reign, together with Jesus Christ, your Son,
and with the Holy Spirit,
now and forever.
Assembly: Amen.
FINAL SONG: Any suitable Eucharistic hymn or song of praise may be sung.
Prepared by Sr. Mary Margaret Tapang PDDM
PIAE DISCIPULAE DIVINI MAGISTRI
SISTER DISCIPLES OF THE DIVINE MASTER
60 Sunset Ave., Staten Island, NY 10314
Tel. (718) 494-8597 // (718) 761-2323
Website: WWW.PDDM.US