Family Prayer for the Twenty-Fifth Ordinary Sunday

A PRAYER SERVICE AT HOME
WHEN ATTENDANCE AT MASS IS NOT POSSIBLE

25^th Sunday of Ordinary Time — September 19, 2021

In these times when not all feel free to gather together as a Christian Community to celebrate Mass, let us unite ourselves spiritually to the Mass as it is being celebrated in our churches.

One way you can do this by joining broadcast Masses on radio, television, or via the internet.

This resource is offered to provide a ritual by which families, "the domestic church," can keep the Lord's day holy by joining together to celebrate part of the Church's liturgy at home. Ideally, the head of the family will lead the service; other members of the family should take on roles as readers.

It would be appropriate to celebrate this service at the usual time the family would attend Mass. If possible, prepare a suitable prayer space with a crucifix, holy picture and/or a candle or two. If the family is blessed with musical talent, hymns would be appropriate.

INTRODUCTORY RITES

Leader:

All:
Amen.

GREETING

Leader:

We gather together to keep holy the Lord's Day. Sunday has been called the Lord's Day because it was on this day, on the first Easter, that Jesus conquered sin and death and rose to new life. Although public Mass has been restored, the threat of the transmission of COVID-19 continues, the Archbishop is continuing the dispensation from the Sunday Mass obligation, and those who are not yet comfortable with the potential risk of returning to Sunday Mass still strive through these prayers to be united in the spirit of Christ with the Church around the world and celebrate our redemption in Christ's suffering, death and resurrection.

Leader:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be God for ever. All:
Blessed be God for ever.

PENITENTIAL ACT

Leader:

Let us put aside petty divisions and trust in the Lord
who gives and sustains life.

After a pause for silent reflection, the leader continues.

Leader:

All:

Lord, have mercy.

Leader

All:

Christ, have mercy.

Leader

All:

Lord, have mercy.

GLORY TO GOD

All:

Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of good will.

We praise you, we bless you
we adore you, we glorify you,
we give you thanks for your great glory,
Lord God, heavenly King,
O God, almighty Father.

Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
you take away the sins of the world,
   have mercy on us;
you take away the sins of the world,
   receive our prayer;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father,
   have mercy on us.

For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High, (Jesus),
Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

COLLECT

Leader:

Let us pray.

O God, who founded all the commands of your sacred Law
upon love of you and of our neighbor,
grant that, by keeping your precepts,
we may merit to attain eternal life.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen.

All:

Amen.

THE LITURGY OF THE WORD

FIRST READING

Reader:

A Reading from the Book of Wisdom

The wicked say:
Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;
he sets himself against our doings,
reproaches us for transgressions of the law
and charges us with violations of our training.

Let us see whether his words be true;
let us find out what will happen to him.
For if the just one be the son of God, God will defend him
and deliver him from the hand of his foes.

With revilement and torture let us put the just one to the test
that we may have proof of his gentleness
and try his patience.
Let us condemn him to a shameful death;
for according to his own words, God will take care of him.

The Word of the Lord.

All:

Thanks be to God.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

Reader:

The Lord upholds my life.

All:
The Lord upholds my life.

Reader:

O God, by your name save me,
and by your might defend my cause.
O God, hear my prayer;
hearken to the words of my mouth.

All:
The Lord upholds my life.

Reader:

For the haughty have risen up against me,
the ruthless seek my life;
they set not God before their eyes.
All:
The Lord upholds my life.

Reader:

Behold, God is my helper;
the Lord sustains my life.
Freely will I offer you sacrifice;
I will praise your name, O Lord, for its goodness.
All:
The Lord upholds my life.

SECOND READING

Reader:

Beloved: Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice. But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without inconstancy or insincerity. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace.

Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from? Is it not from your passions that make war within your members? You covet but do not possess. You kill and envy but you cannot obtain; you fight and wage war. You do not possess because you do not ask. You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

Leader:

The Word of the Lord.
All:
Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Cantor:

Alleluia! Alleluia! All:
Alleluia! Alleluia!

Cantor:

God has called us through the Gospel
to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

All:

Alleluia! Alleluia!

GOSPEL

Leader:

Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee, but he did not wish anyone to know about it. He was teaching his disciples and telling them, "The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise." But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question him.

They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, he began to ask them, "What were you arguing about on the way?" But they remained silent. They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest. Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all." Taking a child, he placed it in the their midst, and putting his arms around it, he said to them, "Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me."

The Gospel of the Lord.

All:

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

REFLECTION

Reader:

Daily Meditation: Mark 9:30-37

Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me. (Mark 9:37)

The disciples were caught red-handed, and they knew it. Jesus had asked them what they were arguing about, and they had no choice but to tell him: they were caught up in a heated debate about which of them was the greatest disciple. In reply, Jesus told them to focus on being servants, not on becoming great. This probably wasn't the first time he had said something like this to them, and it surely wouldn't be the last!

But then instead of going deeper into his teaching about serving, he pivoted to the theme of receiving a child in his name. So why did Jesus change the subject?

He didn't. He just had a different definition of service than the disciples did — and probably a different definition than we do. Like the disciples, we might think of service in terms of quantity and impact. But that's not how Jesus sees it. If you lead a Bible study with fifty people and your neighbor leads one with five people, that doesn't necessarily make you a better servant. If you are spending all your free time helping out in numerous parish ministries and your neighbor is able to give up only one extra hour a week, that doesn't automatically mean you're more of a servant.

What makes you a servant? Your willingness to welcome Jesus no matter how he comes to you. If you're willing to "waste" your time with a child or any other vulnerable person, you're a servant. If you're willing to imitate Jesus' humility as he washed his disciples' feet, you're a servant. If you're willing to imitate his compassion as he stood up for a woman caught in adultery, you're a servant.

Jesus promised that those who become "the last of all and the servant of all" are the "first" (Mark 9:35). May we all learn how to live in the humility and lowliness of Christ.

Jesus, give me the heart of a servant. Give me your heart of love.

PROFESSION OF FAITH

All:

I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made,
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:

[All bow during these two lines:]
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and become man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the Prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

GENERAL INTERCESSIONS

Leader:

Let us offer our prayers in confidence like little children who know that the Lord hears and answers them.

Reader:

The response will be: Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For the Church: (pause) that we may be servants of one another,
particularly of those in need,
and thus bear witness to God's love for everyone.

We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For the members of Congress: (pause)
that God will give them wisdom and insight as they address
the budgetary and infrastructure issues before them.

We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For healing amongst the daughters and sons of Abraham: (pause)
that God will heal the wounds and misunderstandings,
and bring greater cooperation amongst followers
of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.

We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For the unemployed and those facing evictions: (pause)
that God will guide them to beneficial resources,
help them to maintain their housing and family life, and open new opportunities for them to use their talent.

We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For all who have suffered loss through Hurricane Ida,
the recent flooding, or wildfires: (pause)
that God will heal their pain, protect them from further harm,
give them hope, and touch the hearts of many to assist them.

We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For all catechists: (pause)
that they may effectively lead those entrusted to them
to a deeper knowledge and love of God.

We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For the sick, especially those for whom
we have been asked to pray, particularly,
those who are placed in quarantine and isolation, (pause)
that God's healing touch may bring them comfort and peace.

We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For all our sisters and brothers who have died, especially, . . . (pause)
that they experience the joy of God's heavenly family for all eternity.

We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For the prayers we now make in the silence of our hearts, (pause)

We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Leader:

God of mercy, you will judge us in the last days.
Hear the prayers of our hearts and grant them.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
All:
Amen.

LORD'S PRAYER

Leader:

Let us pray with confidence to the Father in the words our Savior gave us. All:

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Amen.

SPIRITUAL COMMUNION

All:

My Jesus, I believe that you are present
   in the most Blessed Sacrament.
I love You above all things
   and I desire to receive You into my soul.

Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally,
   come at least spiritually into my heart.

I embrace You as if You were already there,
   and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You.

Amen.

PRAYER OF BLESSING

Leader:

St Michael, the Archangel, Protect and Pray for us. All:
Amen.

Leader:

The Lord bless us and keep us; the Lord make his face shine on us and be gracious to us; the Lord turn his face toward us and give us his peace both now and forever. All:
Amen.

Leader:

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. All:
Amen.

SOURCES

Prayers at Home When Gathering for Mass Is Not Possible
© 2020, the Diocese of Clonfert and the Diocese of Elphin, Ireland

Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest: Leader's Edition
© 2007, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC