March 2018
“Living the Promise”
SUGGESTED OPENING SONGS
- All Are Welcome ~Marty Haugen, Gather Hymnal #753
- God is Alive ~David Haas, Catholic Book of Worship III #591
- Gather Us In ~Marty Haugen, Catholic Book of Worship III #587
- God is Love ~David Haas, Catholic Book of Worship III #473
- They’ll Know We are Christians ~Peter Scholtes, Gather #735
- I Will Never Forget You, My People ~Carey Landry –
https://www.ocp.org/en-us/songs/11116#tab:sheetmusic
OPENING PRAYER
God of the desert,
In this Lenten season, lead us through the dry places in our hearts where our faith has gone stale, where our hope has turned to despair, where our joy has turned to fear.
Nourish us with loving reminders of the promises you made to us in Baptism.
Warm us with a light we can reflect onto others when we use our gifts and talents to serve.
Inspire us to live the promise, to put our faith into action so that we may become living testaments to your ways.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. +
READING: Luke 4:18
A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke. R. Glory to You, O Lord.
The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.
The Gospel of the Lord. R. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
QUESTIONS FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION
In this passage, Jesus shares his vision of his call to love God and neighbour. How am I called to live out the mission of Jesus today? What word or phrase in the gospel reading resonates with me the most in terms of my role in education?
Jesus and his followers have been called to bring good news to the poor. Who are the poor in our community? Can I expand my understanding of those who are poor to include those who are poor in spirit? What are some actions I can take in order to bring good news to the poor?
Jesus and his followers have been called to proclaim liberty to captives and free those who are oppressed. Who are the oppressed in our schools? In our communities? How can we change the structures that oppress others so that we can uphold the dignity and rights of all people as children of God? What are some ways I help make my school community a place of acceptance, love and belonging?
Jesus and his followers have been called to recover sight to the blind. What about my own “blind spots?” What are some of the ways that I may not see and recognize Christ in each and every person? How can I use this Lenten season to open my eyes to the ways in which I may need to become more welcoming and inclusive so that I can continue to put my faith into practice?
READING AND GUIDED REFLECTION QUESTIONS
“It is impossible to work on your relationship with Jesus Christ without immediately sharing his broad concern about all the other relationships we need to foster and nourish. Our motto is not, ‘Be good to the ones you love.’ It is, ‘Be good to the ones God loves.’ You can’t cuddle with the Christ and shut out the poor. You can’t draw near to Jesus and draw away from the sick and suffering, the elderly and the ill, and the most vulnerable of the world. Therefore, if we open wide the doors to Christ for a new generation of believers, we automatically open wide the doors to all those Christ loves and cherishes the most, namely our neighbours.”
~Build Bethlehem Everywhere, page 42
Pope Francis has said that, “none of us can think we are exempt from concern for the poor and for social justice.”[1] How does this connect to the reading and our call to build God’s kingdom here on Earth?
What implications does this reading have for our school community and the actions we may need to take to “open wide the doors to all those Christ loves?” How can we ensure that we are opening wide our doors to all those Christ loves and not just to a select few?
Reflect on this sentence and its implications for putting faith into practice… “You can’t cuddle with the Christ and shut out the poor.”
CLOSING PRAYER
Loving God,
You who created everything this is good.
You who stretch out the Heavens like a tent.
You have made us for each other.
You call us from our isolation into one community of love.
Your voice is sure and strong.
We come from many places and yet we are woven together in your spirit.
Together, we hear the cry of the poor, bearing the weight of injustice.
Together, we see the pain of the Earth as her beauty is destroyed.
And together, we hear your voice most clearly…
Calling us to join in solidarity with our sisters and brothers in need;
Calling us to commit ourselves, as Ruth to Naomi saying, “Where you go, I will go. Where you stay, I will stay.”
O Lord, stretch the canvas of our hearts that we might make room for the suffering of all humanity and all of creation.
Today, by your grace, we join our lives to those who labour in the fields – those who are weighed down by injustice and those who work to build the world according to your way.
Lead us in the way of discipleship…
The way of love, of faith, of justice and of peace…
The way that has always been yours. Amen. +
~Development & Peace: 50 Years of Solidarity Prayer
SUGGESTED CLOSING SONGS
- You are Mine ~David Haas, Gather Hymnal #649
- You are the Voice ~David Haas, Catholic Book of Worship #576
- We are Called ~David Haas, Gather Hymnal #710
- We are Many Parts ~Marty Haugen, Gather Hymnal #733
- We are One Body, One Body in Christ ~John Michael Talbot –