Family Prayer for the Twenty-Eighth Ordinary Sunday

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

28^th Sunday of Ordinary Time — October 10, 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:

We gather to pray for the grace to use wisely
the gifts we have been given.

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.

May your grace, O Lord, we pray,
at all times go before us and follow after
and make us always determined
to carry out good works.
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

I prayed, and prudence was given me; I pleaded, and the spirit
of wisdom came to me.
I preferred her to scepter and throne,
and deemed riches nothing in comparison with her,
nor did I liken any priceless gem to her;
because all gold, in view of her, is a little sand,
and before her, silver is to be accounted mire.
Beyond health and comeliness I loved her,
and I chose to have her rather than the light,
because the splendor of her never yields to sleep.
Yet all good things together came to me in her company,
and countless riches at her hands.

The Word of the Lord.

All:

Thanks be to God.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

Reader:

Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!

All:
Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!

Reader:

Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O Lord! How long?
Have pity on your servants!

All:
Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!

Reader:

Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
Make us glad, for the days when you afflicted us,
for the years when we saw evil.
All:
Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!

Reader:

Let your work be seen by your servants
and your glory by their children;
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!
All:
Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!

SECOND READING

Reader:

A reading from the Letter to the Hebrews

Brothers and sisters: Indeed the word of God is living and effective,
sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul
and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections
and thoughts of the heart. No creature is concealed from him,
but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom
we must render an account.

The Word of the Lord.

All:

Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Cantor:

Alleluia! Alleluia! All:
Alleluia! Alleluia!

Cantor:

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
All:
Alleluia! Alleluia!

GOSPEL

Leader:

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother." He replied and said to him, "Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth." Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, "You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" The disciples were amazed at his words. So Jesus again said to them in reply, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, "Then who can be saved?"

Jesus looked at them and said, "For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God." Peter began to say to him, "We have given up everything and followed you." Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come."

The Gospel of the Lord.

All:

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

REFLECTION

Reader:

Daily Meditation: Mark 10:17-30

They were exceedingly astonished. (Mark 10:26)

Of course the disciples were astonished! Jesus had just told them that the rich would find it especially hard to enter the kingdom of heaven. This went against everything they believed. There was a strong strain in ancient Judaism that said that material wealth was a sign of God's blessing. But here was Jesus telling the rich young man to join the ranks of the poor. What was he doing?

First, notice that Jesus wasn't condemning the man for his wealth. On the contrary, Mark tells us that Jesus "loved him" (10:21). Jesus no doubt valued this man's observance of the law and his sincere desire to be pleasing to God. Surely that's how Jesus looks upon everyone who tries to do his will, regardless of how wealthy they may or may not be.

Second, it wasn't Jesus who rejected the man; it was the other way around. Granted, Jesus had set a high bar for him, but there's every indication that Jesus would have helped him make the tough decision to sell all and follow him. But the man walked away too quickly. And he went away "sad" (Mark 10:22).

Finally, Jesus saw that this man's attachment to his possessions could get in the way of his ability to follow Jesus. Just as he had called Matthew and Peter and the others to leave their jobs, Jesus wanted this man to break free from the one thing that was hindering him from living as a wholehearted disciple. He wanted all his disciples to find freedom through detachment so that they could focus on loving him and one another.

Today, Jesus is looking at you with love. He has a high calling for you and is ready to help you fulfill it. And he is asking you to let go of anything that distracts you from that calling. What might that be? Take him up on the offer. Don't walk away sad.

Lord, help me give up whatever is keeping me from you.

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:

Lord God, you fill our days with blessings in answer to our prayers.
We turn to you now in our need.

Reader:

The response will be: Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For the Synod that Pope Francis has opened: (pause)
that God will guide the whole Church
in listening to the Holy Spirit so that we may deepen our communion
and be more faithful to the mission
of evangelization and reconciliation.

We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For rich nations: (pause)
that they find new ways to help those in poverty,
and to respond quickly to the victims of natural disasters.

We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For Wisdom: (pause)
that we may learn to ponder the events of our lives
and hold them in prayer while God works in our lives
and transforms us.

We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For deeper awareness: (pause)
that we recognize the limits of power, beauty, fame, and wealth,
and learn to trust God who alone fulfills all our needs and wants.

We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For a greater reverence and appreciation of human life: (pause)
that we may recognize God's gift of life in each person, particularly
in the very young and the elderly who cannot speak for themselves.

We pray to the Lord.

All:

Lord, hear our prayer.

Reader:

For all who have experienced abuse: (pause)
that God will heal and renew them, help their voices to be heard,
and help all in leadership to take effective action
to protect the vulnerable and powerless.

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:

Lord God of the harvest the abundance of your grace
inspires us to present our needs to you.
Hear our prayers and help us to listen for the answer

that will surely come, 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