A New
Presentation for Sunday's Liturgy Where
are we the disciples of Jesus? September
5, 2004 - 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Click here to download
(4.5MB)
Flash presentation
This
presentation is originally prepared in Spanish by Fr. Cristo Rey García
Paredes, cmf. The original version,along
with other very useful materials for pastoral agents and Christians in
general can be found at: http://ciudadredonda.org
The
Lord comes among us
and calls us to follow him without conditions.
May we listen to his call
and may he always be with you.
R/ And also with you.
Introduction
by the Celebrant
A.
Conscious Discipleship
At first sight it looks contradictory that on the one hand Jesus presents
his message and even himself as an invitation, a free offer that we
can either accept or reject; and on the other hand as a strict demand.
Today's gospel sheds light on this paradox: Yes, what he offers us is
a present, and no one is forced to accept it. We remain free, but if
we accept it, it will be demanding. Jesus and his kingdom are to be
put above even our dearest relationships and desires. So, we have to
think twice before we accept. But we must know that with him and by
his strength we can answer his call, however difficult, and we will
be happy. He gives us that invitation and strength in this eucharist.
B.
Look Before You Leap
People who want to get ahead in life keep looking forward to the future.
They reflect, they consult, they plan, and they evaluate their methods,
taking nothing for granted. This is, or ought to be, the attitude of
Christians. They know that the Christian life is serious. They do not
take their faith for granted. They ask themselves: What is God's will
and plan for me, today, in my state of life? Where am I going? Am I
following Christ my Lord the way he wants me to? Do I identify with
him? Do I make myself free from the things that keep me from following
him? And do I follow him also when the cost is high?
Penitential
Act
Let
us ask pardon from the Lord
for not always having had the courage
to follow him all the way. (PAUSE)
Lord Jesus, if we do not learn
to carry your cross with you
we cannot be your disciples.
Lord, give us courage.
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, if we are not willing
to go with you all the way
we cannot be your disciples:
Christ, give us your strength.
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, unless we are willing to give up
all that we are attached to,
we cannot be your disciples.
Lord, give us your liberating power.
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Lord, in your patient mercy
forgive us our cowardice and our sins.
Journey with us on the road
and lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.
Opening
Prayer
Let
us pray for God's Spirit
that we may follow Jesus consistently (PAUSE)
God our Father,
we have accepted your invitation
to follow your Son Jesus as his disciples.
Let your Spirit give us the wisdom and strength
to take our faith seriously
and to accept our task in life
with all its consequences.
Let the Spirit help us to go your Son's way
without fear or discouragement,
for we are certain Jesus will lead us to you,
our loving God for ever and ever. R/ Amen.
Liturgy
of the Word
First
Reading Introduction: We Need the Holy Spirit of
Wisdom Our all too human search
is incapable of discovering God's will and plans, unless God gives us
the insights of his own wisdom. We must pray for a spirit of wisdom.
First
Reading: Wis
9:13-18
Indeed, what man
can know the intentions of God? Who can discern the plan of the Lord?
For human reasoning is timid, our notions misleading; a perishable body
is a burden for the soul and our tent of clay weighs down the active
mind.
We are barely able to know about the things of earth and it is a struggle
to understand what is close to us; who then may hope to understand heavenly
things?
Who has ever known your will unless you first gave him Wisdom and sent
down your holy spirit to him? In this way you directed the human race
on the right path; they learned what pleases you and were saved by Wisdom.
Responsorial
Psalm: Ps 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14-17
R.
(1) In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You
turn man back to dust,
saying, "Return, O children of men."
For a thousand years in your sight
are as yesterday, now that it is past,
or as a watch of the night. R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You
make an end of them in their sleep;
the next morning they are like the changing grass,
Which at dawn springs up anew,
but by evening wilts and fades. R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Teach
us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants! R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Fill
us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
And may the gracious care of the LORD our God be ours;
prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands! R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Second
Reading Introduction: In Christ, a Slave Becomes
a Brother
In this short, sensitive letter, Paul
asks his friend Philemon to reaccept his runaway slave as he would receive
Paul himself. In Christ, this slave has become a brother.
Second
Reading: Phlm
9-10, 12-17
Yet I prefer to
request you in love. The one talking is Paul, the old man, now prisoner
for Christ. And my request is on behalf of Onesimus, whose father I
have become while I was in prison.
In returning him to you, I am sending you my own heart. I would have
liked to keep him at my side, to serve me on your behalf while I am
in prison for the Gospel, but I did not want to do anything without
your agreement, nor impose a good deed upon you without your free consent.
Perhaps Onesimus has been parted from you for a while so that you may
have him back forever, no longer as a slave, but better than a slave.
For he is a very dear brother to me, and he will be even dearer to you.
And so, because of our friendship, receive him as if he were I myself.
GospelIntroduction:
Have We Made Up Our Minds to Follow Christ?
Jesus went all the way to the
cross. True wisdom and prudence are not afraid of taking the risk of following
him resolutely.
Gospel
Reading:Lk
14:25-33
One
day, when large crowds were walking along with Jesus, he turned and
said to them, "If you come to me, without being ready to give up
your love for your father and mother, your spouse and children, your
brothers and sisters, and indeed yourself, you cannot be my disciple.
Whoever does not follow me carrying his own cross cannot be my disciple.
"Do you build a house without first sitting down to count the cost
to see whether you have enough to complete it? Otherwise, if you have
laid the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone will make
fun of you: This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'
"And when a king wages war against another king, does he go to
fight without first sitting down to consider whether his ten thousand
can stand against the twenty thousand of his opponent? And if not, while
the other is still a long way off he sends messengers for peace talks.
In the same way, none of you may become my disciple if he doesn't give
up everything he has."
Commentary
"READY
to give up your love for your father and mother." We need to
look at this difficult verse. Many English translations still say
"hate your father and mother." This is even more challenging.
Jesus criticized the Pharisees for setting aside the law of God, which
said "Honor your father and mother," for the sake of their
own customs (Mk 7:10-13). He could hardly be telling us now to hate
them, or to give up our love for them.
The problem is a too literal translation from another language. A
French school principal once wrote to tell the parents of her English
student that their daughter had been "hanged." What she
meant to say was that the girl had been suspended from the school!
Languages put things differently! Aramaic idiom dispensed with qualifiers:
if you don't love, you hate; if you're not first, you're last. In
modern languages we are able to say something and then qualify it
out of existence. The shock of a literal translation from Aramaic
is probably good for us! What that particular verse is saying is that
discipleship is to come before all other relationships. It even comes
before one's relationship to oneself, "Those who lose their life
for my sake will find it" (Mt 10:39).
Discipleship
doesn't mean fawning on a teacher, but being moved with the help of
that teacher to a position where everything isn't corrupted by the
ego. The roots of the ego go very deep, and of course they are knotted
in a thousand ways with our parents' egos, and our spouses'. These
knots are not love (even though love is sometimes symbolized by a
knot). It is discipleship that cuts those knots so that we can love
one another in life-giving ways.
General
Intercessions
Let
us pray to Jesus our Lord that we may be disciples who follow him resolutely,
and let us say: R/ Lord, be our light and our strength.
- For all those in positions of leadership in the Church and in the
world, that God's Spirit may enlighten them and give them courage, let
us pray: R/ Lord, be our light and our strength.
- For all those who are seeking God with a sincere heart, that they
may find him; for all those who try to discover what God wants them
to do, that the Lord may give them insight and wisdom, let us pray:
R/ Lord, be our light and strength.
- For those called by the Lord to special ministries of service in the
community, that they may have the courage to put no limitations on their
generosity,
let us pray: R/ Lord, be our light and strength.
- For those disillusioned or discouraged by adversity and suffering,
that they may encounter convinced Christians who may inspire them, let
us pray: R/ Lord, you are our light and strength
- For all of us here, that we may commit ourselves to Jesus our Lord
as he commits himself to us, let us pray: R/ Lord, be our light and
strength.
Lord Jesus Christ, let your thoughts and life, your faithfulness and
courage be ours, that we may follow you without reservations on the
way to the Father and to people, now and for ever. R/ Amen.
Prayer
over the Gifts
Lord
our God,
in these gifts of bread and wine
we bring ourselves before you
and you let your Son give himself to us.
May we learn from him
to make ourselves free
for people and for you
and to seek your will in all we do.
May we follow your Son
in his trials and his glory,
now and for ever. R/ Amen.
Introduction
to the Eucharistic Prayer
We
now join Jesus in his sacrifice. He willingly sacrificed everything
for the love of the Father and of people. Let us join him in his attitude,
for we are his disciples today.
Introduction
to the Lord's Prayer
With
Jesus our Lord
we pray to the Father
that his will and intentions may be ours. R/ Our Father...
Deliver
Us
Deliver
us, Lord, from every evil,
and grant us the wisdom
of discovering your will in everyday life.
In your mercy, set us free
from all attachments and fears
that keep us from hearing
the call of your Son to follow him.
Help us to prepare in hope and joy
for the return in glory among us
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom...
Invitation
to Communion
This
is Jesus the Lord,
who left his glory
to become the Savior of people.
This is Jesus the Lord who invites us
to join our destiny with his
and to follow him all the way. R/ Lord, I am not worthy...
Prayer
after Communion
Lord
our God,
in this eucharist you have enlightened us
with the word of wisdom of your Son
and given us his bread of strength
to follow him without hesitation.
Fill us with the wisdom and strength of your Spirit
to go with Jesus
through the desert of pain and the cross
for the sake of bringing life and joy
to our brothers and sisters in need
and for giving glory to you,
our God for ever and ever. R/ Amen.
Blessing
As
on other Sundays,
we have again been confronted today
with Jesus and his message.
These put our life under the criticism of the Good News.
You are my disciple? Very good.
But do you speak up for people trampled upon?
Do you give time and attention to people in need?
Can you accept hardships for the sake of others?
Such are the marks of the real disciple.
We have reflected on these marks
and we ask God to give us strength.
May almighty God bless you,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Go in peace and follow the Lord. R/ Thanks be to God.
A New
Presentation for Sunday's Liturgy
One
day, when large crowds were walking along with Jesus, he turned and
said to them, "If you come to me, without being ready to give up
your love for your father and mother, your spouse and children, your
brothers and sisters, and indeed yourself, you cannot be my disciple.
Whoever does not follow me carrying his own cross cannot be my disciple.