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Suffering God,
open our hearts to the many abuses of human life, liberty, and dignity. We believe that in each person is found the Creator’s image and that everyone who tramples it offends God. As holy defender of God’s rights and of his images, the Church is called to cry out. It endures as spittle in its face, as lashes on its back, as the cross in its passion, all that human beings suffer, even unbelievers. Whoever tortures a human being, whoever outrages a human being, abuses God’s image. The Church takes as its own that cross, that martyrdom. Give us the courage to accompany those who suffer, speak truth, and fight injustice in the name of Jesus, the suffering Messiah. Amen. [Based on Saint Oscar Romero’s words from December 31, 1977, in the compendium The Violence of Love] |
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My Lord and my God,
you who are slow to anger and abounding in kindness and compassion, pour forth your mercy upon me. Help me to drop the stones of self-righteous judgment, and the stones of retribution. Let me always look with compassion and empathy on the actions of others. May I always leave judgment to you. May I learn to choose forgiveness and love. Thank you for quietly inviting me to drop the stones I cling to. Give me the grace to be held in your abundant love so I may unclench my fists and be free. Amen. |
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Merciful and Waiting Father,
we thank you for your extravagant and reckless love for us. You are patient with our wanderings, understanding of our lapses of fidelity, and desirous of our return. Give us the graces we need to reach out to those who are alienated from our families, our church and from you. Teach us to be as welcoming and accepting of others as we are always welcomed by you. We pray this trusting in your love for us, in the name of Jesus, the compassion of God and through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. |
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Lord, thank you for your great mercy
and the urgency of your call to live as your disciple. Thank you because, even when I mess up, you give me another chance. Help me to bring the good news of your love to others so that they, too, may turn back to your love. Give me the courage to shake off my complacency and choose this Lent to live more fully in your love and grace. I pray this knowing that you desire the fullness of life for all. Amen. |
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Loving God,
we put our trust in your abiding presence in our lives. Strengthen our faith in times of adversity and suffering. Give us a new awareness of God moments in our everyday lives, and help us gain from these experiences a deepened desire to follow your will and way. Give us the grace to share with others how you are working in our lives. We ask this in the name of Jesus, the risen Lord. Amen. |
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God of mercy and compassion,
forgive me for the times I fall into temptation, release and free me from the trap of sin. Give me the grace to be a more aware and self-reflective person, a person who takes responsibility for my actions and emotions and does not project those painful emotions on others. Help me to let go of the false gods that I cling to and give me a deep trust in your desire to fill the needs of my heart. I ask this in the name of God who is a loving Father, in Jesus, the compassion of God, and through the Holy Spirit, the One who makes all things new. Amen. |
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Lord Jesus,
your life on earth was a model of humility. Help me to imitate you in that virtue, showing my devotion not through extravagant displays, but rather through quiet and heart-felt prayer. Amen. |
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Share this table prayer with those you will eat with on Easter Sunday.
please be with us during this Easter season, and always,
as we strive to live as disciples of your Son. May the breaking of bread, today and every day, remind us of the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ, who died to atone for our sins and rose again so that we, too, may rise and live in your presence forever. O God, bless this food and we who share it, and be with those who cannot share it with us. We ask this in the name of the same Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. Alleluia! Christ has risen! Amen. |
Christ has risen! Alleluia!|
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Loving God,|
Coming from Jesus, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” can be a troubling statement because it seems to undermine his faith in his own mission and in a God who loves him. Doesn’t Jesus know what’s to come? Doesn’t he believe that God is always with him? We can all relate to Jesus’ cry. In our times of trial, we, too, may want to call out to God and ask why we have been abandoned. The times in our lives when we feel most vulnerable are often the times when God seems distant. Jesus’ cry is taken from the beginning of Psalm 22. The anguish and pain of feeling alone pours out in the opening lines. Nevertheless, the author of the psalm does not turn away from God. On the contrary, he says, “you (God) are holy” (Ps 22:3) and “All the end of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him” (Ps 22:27). The psalm as a whole is not a cry of great despair and obstacles, but of great hope and faith. Jesus does not deny the profound physical and emotional pain of his situation. But through his pain, he challenges us to identify with the author of the psalm who cries out to God and praises God in the same breath. This challenge goes to the heart of one of the great mysteries of the Christian faith: simultaneously loving a gracious God and not denying the sorrows of human life. We are invited to remember that while pain is real, it is also temporary. But the love God has for us is eternal. When have you experienced love coming out of a painful situation? What did it teach you? Adapted from Word on the Go, a downloadable resource from RENEW International Tags: a reflection on the coming Sunday's Gospel, Bible, calling out to God, Catholic, Catholic Church, catholic RENEW program, Christ, Christian faith, community, faith, God always with you, God who loves you, God's love, Good News, Gospel, gracious God, Jesus, Jesus' mission, Lent, Mark 15:33, Mass, My God My God, my god my god why have you foresaken me, painful situation, Palm Sunday, Passion Play, prayer, psalm, Psalm 22, renew catholic program, RENEW International, Scripture, Son of God, sorrows of human life, Sunday Gospel, why have you forsaken me?, Word of God |
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I recently spoke on a Friday night at a parish Stations of the Cross. The title of the Lenten series is “The Way Walkers.” I love the image of being a “way walker”—one who walks in the Way of Jesus.|
What does it mean to lose one’s life in order to gain it? Throughout life, we come across people who live fearlessly because they are inspired by the conviction that they have been called to do what they do. Perhaps it is a colleague who is energized by her work. Maybe it’s a friend whose indignation at an obvious injustice has inspired him to dedicate his time to changing things. Or it is a priest or sister whose devotion to ministry comes from a deep desire to serve. In this Gospel passage, Jesus is speaking of how we act in this world. Sometimes, we may stand out of the mainstream and seem dead. Other times, we may appear alive but are actually ignoring our core potential. Jesus is saying that we should lose the life the world wants us to have and save the life within that is given to us by God. Think of the politician who entered public life wishing to serve, but is now afraid to answer a question honestly for fear of alienating voters. Think of the salesperson who pushes a product she knows is inferior just because it means a better commission. What about you? Maybe you began your career with zeal and now are just concerned about accruing vacation days. Or maybe you have struggled with the pressure of choosing a vocation that will help you make a good living over the call to do something more spiritually gratifying. When have you needed to lose something in your life in order to save the person God calls you to be? Adapted from Word on the Go, a downloadable resource from RENEW International Tags: be the person God calls you to be, Bible, Catholic, catholic RENEW program, Christ, Church, community, desire to serve, devotion, faith, given to us by God, Good News, Gospel, Gospel according to John, Jesus, john 12, Lent, Mass, prayer, Reflections on the coming Sunday's Gospel, renew catholic program, RENEW International, spiritually gratifying, vocation, whoever loves his life loses it |
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In Jesus’ time, light was a valued and scarce resource. Oil for lamps was expensive and carefully rationed. Moving away from the light of a village campfire was risking danger. Traveling in the darkness of night meant exposing oneself to wild animals or criminals. For Christians around 100 AD, the metaphor of Christ as the light would have particular resonance. They frequently lived in dark times of persecution, and to attest to believing in Jesus was dangerous. They looked forward to a time when their belief in Jesus could be safely expressed in the full light of day. Today, for those of us fortunate to live in a country where religious freedom is protected, the “darkness” we encounter manifests itself in things like greed, exploitation, violence, racism, and sexism. These aspects of life can cloud our vision and lead us to choose evil over good. Jesus lights the path for us to pierce the darkness and come into the light of goodness, truth, and faith. Think of a dark time in your life. Who or what did you reach out to? Adapted from Word on the Go, a downloadable resource from RENEW International Tags: 100AD, a reflection on the coming Sunday's Gospel, Bible, Catholic, Catholic Church, catholic RENEW program, Christianity, dark time in life, evil, God, Good News, Gospel, Gospel according to John, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus as light, John 3, kingdom of heaven, light, live in truth, Mass, persecution, prayer, Reflections on the coming Sunday's Gospel, renew catholic program, RENEW International, Scripture, Sunday Gospel, wicked things, Word of God, works clearly seen and done in God |
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