Guidelines for prayer: June 13-19, 2016 - "Praying for others is the first step of evangelization"6/14/2016
General Theme: “…He saw this large crowd and his heart was filled with pity for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.” (Mark 6:34) General Objective: - to see God present and working in the different realities of the people. - to live our dedication as a Verbum Dei Missionary Family in our different realities. - to let God transform us into missionaries for the world. Objective of the week: To learn to pray as an apostle praying for the concrete realities in our society.
INTRODUCTION
Praying for others is the first step of evangelization. We need to have a “spiritual sensitivity for reading God’s message in events.”(Evangelii Nuntiandi 63) With the trust we have with God as we prayed last week, we experience how He transforms us to be more attentive and sensitive to the concrete, present-day realities around us and to be able to respond to them with our lives. We hear many things in the news and it has become normal for us to feel overwhelmed and helpless. That is why this week, we are invited to take steps in our prayer. More than always praying for our concerns and needs, we are invited to pray for so many realities in the world wherein we are very much a part of – touching them and living with them everyday. Let us look at St. Paul, the patron saint of Verbum Dei. “Let us peer for a moment into the heart of St. Paul, to see what his prayer was like. It was full of people… authentic contemplation always has a place for others.” (Evangelii Gaudium 281) What is the prayer of an apostle? What is in the heart of an apostle? It is filled with faces and names, always has a place for others. This is our fulfilment. “We achieve fulfilment when we break down walls and our heart is filled with faces and names.” Going beyond our limits first of all starts in breaking down walls in the way we pray. Every person deserves and is worthy of our prayer. “…Every human being is the object of God’s infinite tenderness, he himself is present in their lives… every person is immensely holy and deserves our love. (Evangelii Gaudium 274) We will offer to pray each day in the week for a concrete reality in society. MONDAY Let us pray for the realities of children Matthew 19:13-15 13 Then people brought little children to him, for him to lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples scolded them, 14 but Jesus said, 'Let the little children alone, and do not stop them from coming to me; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of Heaven belongs.' 15 Then he laid his hands on them and went on his way. Matthew 18:1-5 At this time the disciples came to Jesus and said, 'Who is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven?' 2 So he called a little child to him whom he set among them. 3 Then he said, 'In truth I tell you, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven. 4 And so, the one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven. 5 'Anyone who welcomes one little child like this in my name welcomes me. We pray this day for so many orphans, children who are victims of abuse and human trafficking. We pray for the street children, taken by poverty and sickness. We remember what Jesus said that they are the path to enter the Kingdom… TUESDAY Let us pray for the realities of teenagers Ephesians 6:1-3 Children, be obedient to your parents in the Lord -- that is what uprightness demands. 2 The first commandment that has a promise attached to it is: Honour your father and your mother, 3 and the promise is: so that you may have long life and prosper in the land. Sirach 2:1-6 My child, if you aspire to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for an ordeal. 2 Be sincere of heart, be steadfast, and do not be alarmed when disaster comes. 3 Cling to him and do not leave him, so that you may be honoured at the end of your days. 4 Whatever happens to you, accept it, and in the uncertainties of your humble state, be patient, 5 since gold is tested in the fire, and the chosen in the furnace of humiliation. 6 Trust him and he will uphold you, follow a straight path and hope in him. We pray this day for the teenagers who are full of energy and who are in the challenging stage in their growth. We pray for those who are living in depression and with suicidal tendencies, taken by vices at an early age… WEDNESDAY Let us pray for the realities of the youth 1 Timothy 4:12-16 12 Let no one disregard you because you are young, but be an example to all the believers in the way you speak and behave, and in your love, your faith and your purity. 13 Until I arrive, devote yourself to reading to the people, encouraging and teaching. 14 You have in you a spiritual gift which was given to you when the prophets spoke and the body of elders laid their hands on you; do not neglect it. 15 Let this be your care and your occupation, and everyone will be able to see your progress. 16 Be conscientious about what you do and what you teach; persevere in this, and in this way you will save both yourself and those who listen to you. We pray today for so many young people involved with gangs living a violent life. We pray for those involved in pre-marital sex relations and drugs… THURSDAY Let us pray for the realities of the singles and working people 1 Corinthians 7:32-35 32 I should like you to have your minds free from all worry. The unmarried man gives his mind to the Lord's affairs and to how he can please the Lord; 33 but the man who is married gives his mind to the affairs of this world and to how he can please his wife, and he is divided in mind. 34 So, too, the unmarried woman, and the virgin, gives her mind to the Lord's affairs and to being holy in body and spirit; but the married woman gives her mind to the affairs of this world and to how she can please her husband. 35 I am saying this only to help you, not to put a bridle on you, but so that everything is as it should be, and you are able to give your undivided attention to the Lord. 2 Thessalonians 3:10-15 10 We urged you when we were with you not to let anyone eat who refused to work. 11 Now we hear that there are some of you who are living lives without any discipline, doing no work themselves but interfering with other people's. 12 In the Lord Jesus Christ, we urge and call on people of this kind to go on quietly working and earning the food that they eat. 13 My brothers, never slacken in doing what is right. We pray this day for so many unemployed, for those who are living their lives without motivation to move on. We pray also for those who are taken so much by their work and living in stress… FRIDAY Let us pray for the realities of the couples Ephesians 5:22-33 22 Wives should be subject to their husbands as to the Lord, 23 since, as Christ is head of the Church and saves the whole body, so is a husband the head of his wife; 24 and as the Church is subject to Christ, so should wives be to their husbands, in everything. 25 Husbands should love their wives, just as Christ loved the Church and sacrificed himself for her 26 to make her holy by washing her in cleansing water with a form of words, 27 so that when he took the Church to himself she would be glorious, with no speck or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and faultless. 28 In the same way, husbands must love their wives as they love their own bodies; for a man to love his wife is for him to love himself. 29 A man never hates his own body, but he feeds it and looks after it; and that is the way Christ treats the Church, 30 because we are parts of his Body. 31 This is why a man leaves his father and mother and becomes attached to his wife, and the two become one flesh. 32 This mystery has great significance, but I am applying it to Christ and the Church. 33 To sum up: you also, each one of you, must love his wife as he loves himself; and let every wife respect her husband. Colossians 3:21 21 Parents, do not irritate your children or they will lose heart. Ephesians 6:4 4 And parents, never drive your children to resentment but bring them up with correction and advice inspired by the Lord. We pray this day for the families. We pray for so many broken families, broken relationships between couples and their children. We pray for realities of infidelities, violence in the family. We pray for those who are separated because of work abroad… SATURDAY Let us pray for the realities of the elderly Titus 2:2-7 2 Older men should be reserved, dignified, moderate, sound in faith and love and perseverance. 3 Similarly, older women should behave as befits religious people, with no scandal-mongering and no addiction to wine -- they must be the teachers of right behaviour 4 and show younger women how they should love their husbands and love their children, 5 how they must be sensible and chaste, and how to work in their homes, and be gentle, and obey their husbands, so that the message of God is not disgraced. 6 Similarly, urge younger men to be moderate in everything that they do, 7 and you yourself set an example of good works, by sincerity and earnestness, when you are teaching, and by a message sound and irreproachable We pray this day for the Senior citizens, widows and those who are rejected by their own families. We pray for the elderly who are dying, for those who are sick and disabled… SUNDAY 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time 1st Reading: Zechariah 12:10-11; 13:1 Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 63 2nd Reading: Galatians 3:26-29 Gospel: Luke 9:18-24 Comments are closed.
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