EUCHARISTIC ADORATION
THROUGH THE LITURGICAL YEAR (Vol. 3, n. 8)
3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
January 21-27, 2007
“They Understood What Was Read …”
(+) 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 appropriate song may be sung.
WORDS OF ORIGEN OF ALEXANDRIA
Jesus rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the assistant and sat down. Every eye in the synagogue was fixed upon him. Here too in this synagogue, that is, in this present assembly, you can at this very moment fix your eyes upon our Savior if you wish. Whenever you direct your inward gaze toward wisdom and truth and the contemplation of God’s only Son, then your eyes are fixed upon Jesus … When you look at Jesus your own faces will become radiant with his reflected glory.
SILENT ADORATION
OPENING PRAYER
Leader: God our Father,
your Word, Jesus Christ, spoke peace to a sinful world
and brought mankind the gift of reconciliation
by the suffering and death he endured.
Teach us, the people who bear his name,
to follow the example he gave us:
may our faith, hope and charity,
turn hatred to love, conflict to peace, death to eternal life.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Assembly: Amen.
Part I
JESUS MASTER TRUTH
Listening to the Word
FIRST READING: Neh 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
GOSPEL READING: Lk 1:1-4; 4:14-21
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. 8]: 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. Do we experience the importance of the proclamation of the Word of God in the liturgy? Like the liturgical assembly in Ezra’s time, do we endeavor to listen to the Word with receptive hearts, willful attention and self-sacrifice? Do we invest time, effort, love and creativity in order to glean the meaning and challenge of God’s Word for us? Do we try to hear and understand the Word, both personally and as members of the faith community? Do we respond to the social challenge of God’s living Word?
B. Do we believe that the messianic prophecy about the one “anointed to bring good news to the poor and release to the captives” is fulfilled in Jesus Christ? Do we look to Jesus as the true saving Word and the Good News incarnate? Is Jesus, the Word of God made flesh and made Eucharistic bread, a font of life, joy and strength for us?
C. What is our response to Jesus’ declaration: “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing”? What is the personal implication for us of this declaration? Do we truly hear the fullness of the Word that is actualized in the here and now of our daily life? Do we endeavor to fulfill and incarnate in our lives the meaning and saving implication of the paschal mystery proclaimed in the Church’s liturgy?
PRAYING WITH THE WORD
(From a monk of the Eastern Church, cf. Days of the Lord, vol. 6, 1991, p. 27)
Assembly: You come to Nazareth.
It is the day of the Sabbath.
According to your custom, you enter the synagogue.
I enter it with you.
There, you offer to read the Book yourself.
You then want to explain the Word of God.
I translate this into Christian terms:
you have confided to your holy Church the deposit of inspired Scriptures.
I have no wish to read the Word without your Church or against your Church:
she is the supreme and infallible interpreter
of what was written under the Spirit’s power.
Yet you welcome me,
both in the “synagogue” and in the privacy of my room,
with the intensely personal welcome of the Word.
How should I understand this?
Lord, each time I take the Bible in my hands,
may I see that I lift you,
and may you teach me to “read”.
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: My brothers and sisters, we are gathered to celebrate the mystery of our salvation in Jesus Christ, the living Word. Let us ask the Father to give us the joy and the strength to welcome and understand his creative, life-giving and cleansing Word. We pray:
(R.) LORD, HEAR OUR PRAYER.
1. For the Holy Father’s General Intention for this month of January: That in our time, unfortunately marked by many episodes of violence, the Church’s bishops and priests may continue to indicate the way of peace and understanding among peoples. We pray: (R.)
2. For the Holy Father’s Mission Intention for this month of January: That the Church in Africa may become a constantly more authentic witness of the Good News of Christ and be committed in every nation to the promotion of reconciliation and peace. We pray: (R.)
3. For the mass media that it may be rightly used to proclaim the truth and not to distort the truth. We pray: (R.)
4. For all those who proclaim and break the bread of the Word of God in the Church’s liturgy that they may have the grace to touch the hearts of all with the healing power of God’s love. We pray: (R.)
5. For all of us that by our compassionate stance to the poor and needy, we may help the anguished world of today to understand Jesus’ declaration: “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing” (Lk 4:21). We pray: (R.)
6. For the faithful departed that, as they contemplate and fix their loving gaze upon Jesus, his radiant glory as Son of God may be reflected upon them for all eternity. We pray: (R.)
(Other prayers may be added.)
THE LORD’S PRAYER
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Leader: Lord Jesus, eternal Word of the Father,
bless and strengthen your people who listen to your Word
and experience it fulfilled in their hearing.
May they remain faithful to you
and always rejoice in your saving love.
You live and reign forever and ever.
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