EUCHARISTIC ADORATION
THROUGH THE LITURGICAL YEAR (Vol. 3, n. 41)
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
September 9-15, 2007
“To Be My Disciple …”
(+) In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
(A moment of silence)
SONG: Any Eucharistic hymn or any other appropriate song may be sung.
INTRODUCTION
(Cf. D Bonhoeffer, cited in Days of the Lord, vol. 6, Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 1991, p. 200)
Costly grace is the gospel that must ever be sought; it is a gift for which one must ask; it is the door at which one must knock. It is costly because it calls for obedience; it is grace because it calls for obedience to Christ. It is costly because it may cost a man his life; it is grace because only thus is man brought to new life. It is costly because it condemns sins; it is grace because it justifies the sinner. It is costly grace most of all because it has cost God dearly, because it has cost God the life of his Son – You have been bought at a great price – because what has been costly for God cannot be cheap for us. It is grace most of all because God did not regard his Son as too precious for our life, but gave him for us. Costly grace is the incarnation of God.
SILENT ADORATION
OPENING PRAYER
Leader: Lord,
look with kindness on your people gathered here before you.
Send forth the power of your Holy Spirit
that they may have the wisdom
to discern the meaning of Christian discipleship
and follow Christ all the way to his paschal destiny of death and glory.
We ask this in the name of Jesus,
who lives and reigns forever and ever.
Assembly: Amen.
Part I
JESUS MASTER TRUTH
Listening to the Word
FIRST READING: Wis 9:13-18a
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
GOSPEL READING: Lk 14:25-33
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 [Series 5, n. 41]: 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 song of praise may be sung.
Part II
JESUS MASTER WAY
Confrontation with the Word
POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART
A. Are we ready to respond continually and progressively to the following demands of Christian discipleship: “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple … Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple … Anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple” (Lk 14:26-27,33)?
B. How do the parables on the tower builder and the war-waging king impact us? Do we dedicate adequate reflection and consideration on the price of discipleship? Why is the price of discipleship costly? Are we thankful to the Lord for the gift of discipleship and are we ready to pay the price?
C. What is the role of the Holy Spirit in our life of Christian discipleship? Do we pray to God for the gift of divine wisdom and the light of the Holy Spirit that would enable us to give absolute value to Jesus and the kingdom of God? Do we believe that God in his tremendous goodness has sent the Holy Spirit to us to help us meet all the requirements of Christian discipleship? How do we respond to the gift of the Holy Spirit – the penetrating and all-powerful Wisdom of God present to us and at work in the entire creation?
PRAYING WITH THE WORD
Leader: Loving Father,
your Son Jesus Christ calls us to be his disciples.
But the price of discipleship is dear
and the grace that is offered to us is “costly”.
We open our hearts
to the tremendous challenge of Christian discipleship.
We humbly welcome the “costly grace” offered to us in the name of Jesus
and by his paschal sacrifice.
Send forth upon us the “wisdom from on high”
that we may discern with sensitivity your saving will.
Renew the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon us.
Give us the strength to renounce
what impedes us from following Christ, our supreme good.
Enlighten us that we may regard the goods of this earth
with a spirit of detachment.
Enable us to uphold him as our absolute treasure,
which surpasses family relations and our very life.
Unite us with his paschal destiny
by giving us the grace to carry our daily cross
with love and devotion.
Help us to follow Christ on the path that leads to life.
We praise and bless you,
in the name of Jesus
and in the wisdom of the Holy Spirit,
now and forever.
Assembly: Amen.
Part III
JESUS LIFE
Acting upon the Word
PERSONAL PRAYER
CONTEMPLATING WITH MARY THE FACE OF CHRIST: The Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary may be prayed in part or in full.
THE WAY OF SOLIDARITY: PRAYER OF INTERCESSION
Priest: With trust and confidence, let us present our petitions to our loving God who gave us the gift of his Son, the Eucharistic Master. Let us say to him:
(R.) LORD, HEAR OUR PRAYER.
1. For the Holy Father’s General Intention for this month of September: FOR THE ROMANIAN ASSEMBLY: That the ecumenical assembly in Romania this month may contribute to the growth of unity among all Christians. We pray: (R.)
2. For the Holy Father’s Mission Intention for this month of September: FOR MISSIONARIES: That, following Christ joyfully, all missionaries may know how to overcome the difficulties they meet in everyday life. We pray: (R.)
3. That those who follow Christ may respond to his radical demands with generosity, integrity and total dedication, we pray: (R.)
4. That we may live in a spirit of detachment from material goods and be filled with zeal to share our goods and resources with the poor and the needy of today’s world, we pray: (R.)
5. That all of us gathered here may uphold Christ as our ultimate treasure, which takes precedence over family relations and even our very life; that we may take up our cross daily and follow Christ to his paschal destiny; and that we may renounce false attachment to material goods and be disposed to share our resources with the world’s poor, we pray: (R.)
(Other prayers may be added.)
THE LORD’S PRAYER
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Leader: Lord,
have mercy on your people.
Grant us in this life the good things
that lead to the everlasting life you prepare for us.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Assembly: Amen.
FINAL SONG: Any 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