The following are prayerful resources rather than a liturgy.
Having used our prayer resources, you might want simply to reflect yourself on them and how that might flow into your coming week. Some people have found it very helpful to meet with others and share their thoughts.
If you are interested in joining a small group to share your thoughts and feelings about God's Word from any of the resources you have watched please email us. cluster.alpha@outlook.com
Questions for reflection (framed for a group discussion)
A “commandment” to love? Shouldn't love come from a free choice? Among the early Christians there is no sense of being driven by some external power or authority to love others. Theirs was an inner compulsion /conviction / commission to respond from a deep sense of having been loved first…
1. “You’ve won the lottery – the Salvation lottery!” That’s the joy the early Christians had when they were commissioned to tell others the good news about God in Jesus: all sins forgotten; all death annulled...
Has it sunk in what Jesus has done for us personally?
2. How is love of others connected to love for God? *
* All second questions
© The Pastoral Center
The response: Risen Saviour …Hear our Prayer
As we celebrate the coming of the Spirit of God’s love on the Church, may our love for God express itself in trying to love all those we meet each day. By our love the power of Christ’s resurrection is made known to the world.
Risen Saviour …Hear our Prayer
For Pope Francis, that his ministry will be blessed by God and hallmarked with courage, compassion and truth.
Risen Saviour …Hear our Prayer
On this International Day of Prayer for Eastern Christians, let us pray that the love of God may unite the hearts of Christ’s disciples of the Eastern and Western traditions, together with all of humanity.
Risen Saviour …Hear our Prayer
For our Christian brothers and sisters of the East and especially those suffering persecution, displacement and discrimination in the Holy land and in Ukraine: that God will sustain their faith in the wounded, yet risen Christ.
Risen Saviour …Hear our Prayer
For all the people of Gaza, the West Bank and Israel, that peace may take root in that land where the gospel of peace was first heard.
Risen Saviour …Hear our Prayer
As the global movement of migrants and asylum seekers continues, we hold in our prayers, those hoping to build a new life in a new country. For those facing possible deportation to Rwanda, we ask the Holy Spirit to comfort and reassure them at this uncertain time.
Risen Saviour …Hear our Prayer
For ourselves in our lives of discipleship: that we may accept the commission to be transformed by the love of God and to bear the fruits of holiness, compassion and truth.
Risen Saviour …Hear our Prayer
For all those dear to us and for students sitting or preparing for exams, that the Holy Spirit will guide them to use their gifts wisely and well.
For the children preparing to celebrate Confirmation later this month, that the gifts of the Holy Spirit may help and guide them to live Christian lives.
Risen Saviour …Hear our Prayer
For all those who yearn for the healing touch of Christ, that they be assured of His abiding presence, ministered to them by family, friends and carers. We remember especially those named by the Prayer Foundation. May they be sustained by our prayers and support.
Risen Saviour…Hear our Prayer
For our beloved dead and for all who are grieving. We remember especially: Patrick Phelan, Maria Lucaci (Fr Eugen’s mother), William Young, Sr Margaret Service, Fr Andrew Monaghan, Kathleen Coyle, Paddy Brock and all those whose anniversaries fall at this time. We give thanks for the gift of their lives. May they rest in peace and live in Christ.
Risen Saviour…Hear our Prayer
Let us now say together our prayer to be missionary disciples.
Lord continue to bless our community
in this time of transition.
Help us on our journey
to grow from a maintenance church
to a missionary church.
Give us the courage
to be missionary disciples.
Make our doors wide enough
to receive all who need
human love and fellowship;
narrow enough to shut out
all envy, pride and prejudice.
Kindle in us the fire of your love
that all who come here
will find joy, peace and love.
Make this a house of prayer
and a gateway to your kingdom.
AMEN
Preparing for next week - 7th Sunday of Easter B
John 17:11-19 Father, keep those you have given me true to your name
Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said: ‘Holy Father, keep those you have given me true to your name, so that they may be one like us. While I was with them, I kept those you had given me true to your name. I have watched over them and not one is lost except the one who chose to be lost, and this was to fulfil the scriptures. But now I am coming to you and while still in the world I say these things to share my joy with them to the full. I passed your word on to them, and the world hated them, because they belong to the world no more than I belong to the world. I am not asking you to remove them from the world, but to protect them from the evil one.
They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. Consecrate them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world, and for their sake I consecrate myself so that they too may be consecrated in truth.’
This is the gospel of the Lord.
Commentary on the readings
Copyright © 1996-2021 Universalis Publishing Limited: see
www.universalis.com.
Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible are published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc.
Text of the Psalms: Copyright © 1963, The Grail (England). All rights reserved
Questions for reflection (framed for a group discussion)
For John, “the world” is the created order of things gone wrong through the influence of evil.
Order can be restored only by the extraordinary love shown by God in Jesus on the cross.
Love melts divisions; banishes evil; unites all in all.
* All second questions
© The Pastoral Center
Copyright 2024 © South Edinburgh Cluster. All rights reserved Parishes of the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh
Registered Charity N0: SC00854
John 15: 9-17 You are my friends if you do what I command you
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘As the Father has loved me,so I have loved you. Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.
I have told you this so that my own joy may be in you and your joy be complete. This is my commandment: love one another, as I have loved you.
A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do what I command you.
I shall not call you servants any more, because a servant does not know his master’s business;
I call you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have learnt from my Father.
You did not choose me: no, I chose you; and I commissioned you to go out and to bear fruit, fruit that will last; and then the Father will give you anything you ask him in my name.
What I command you is to love one another.’
This is the gospel of the Lord. Commentary on the readings
Copyright © 1996-2021 Universalis Publishing Limited: see www.universalis.com.
Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible are published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc.
Text of the Psalms: Copyright © 1963, The Grail (England). All rights reserved