Author: Emeka Nwachukwu

May 23^rd – Saturday after Ascension Day

OPENING  PRAYER:

Father, pour out your Spirit upon all your children,
especially on all the members of our parish family.
Grant us all a new vision of Your glory, a new experience of Your power,
a new faithfulness to Your word, and a new consecration to Your service,
that Your love may grow among us and your Kingdom come.
We make this prayer through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

REFLECTION: Sister Margaret Halaska – I like what I see

The Father knocks at my door, seeking a home for his son.
Rent is cheap, I say.
I don’t want to rent.  I want to buy, says God.
I’m not sure I want to sell, but you might come in to look around.
I think I will, says God.
I might let you have a room or two.
I like it, says God,  I’ll take the two.
You might decide to give me more some day: I can wait, says God
I’d like to give you more, but it’s a bit difficult. I need some space for me.
I know, says God, but I’ll wait.  I like what I see.
Hm, maybe I can let you have another room. I really don’t need that much.
Thanks, says God, I’ll take it.  I like what I see.
I’d like to give you the whole house but I’m not sure.
Think on it, says God,  I wouldn’t put you out.
Your house would be mine and my son would live in it.
You’d have more space than you’d ever had before. I don’t understand at all.
I know, says God, but I can’t tell you about that.
You’ll have to discover it for yourself.
That can only happen if you let him have the whole house. A bit risky, I say.
Yes, says God, but try me. I’m not sure – I’ll let you know.
I can wait, says God.  I like what I see.

CLOSING LITANY:

Response: Spirit of God, come into our hearts: make us your new creation.

Spirit of light, let the fire of your wisdom burn brightly within us. R.
Spirit of silence, in the still moment may we be open to God’s presence. R.
Spirit of courage, dispel the fear that lingers in our hearts. R.
Spirit of fire, engulf us with the passion of Christ’s love.  R.
Spirit of peace, help us to be attentive to God’s word in the world.  R.
Spirit of joy, enthuse us to proclaim aloud the Good News. R.
Spirit of love, compel us to open ourselves to the needs of others.  R.
Spirit of power, bestow the gift of your strength upon us.  R
Spirit of truth, guide us to walk in the way of Christ.  R.

May 22^nd – Friday after Ascension Day

OPENING  PRAYER:

Father, pour out your Spirit upon all your children,
especially on all the members of our parish family.
Grant us all a new vision of Your glory, a new experience of Your power,
a new faithfulness to Your word, and a new consecration to Your service,
that Your love may grow among us and your Kingdom come.
We make this prayer through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

RELECTION: John Dalrymple – Costing Not less than Everything

You cannot be neutral about God. Once you know that He exists and is your Creator, you have to respond to Him with everything you have. To admit God into a part of your life, a ‘religious’ part which exists alongside many other parts but has no influence on them, is not really to admit God into your life at all. The Father that Jesus Christ revealed to us and put us in touch with enters into every part of our life – he is Creator and Lord of All – and makes total demands on us . . . What God asked of the saints and Jesus Himself, He asks of all His followers. We are all called to what they achieved.

CLOSING LITANY:

Response: Spirit of God, come into our hearts
make us your new creation.

Spirit of light, let the fire of your wisdom burn brightly within us. R.
Spirit of silence, in the still moment may we be open to God’s presence. R.
Spirit of courage, dispel the fear that lingers in our hearts. R.
Spirit of fire, engulf us with the passion of Christ’s love.  R.
Spirit of peace, help us to be attentive to God’s word in the world.  R.
Spirit of joy, enthuse us to proclaim aloud the Good News. R.
Spirit of love, compel us to open ourselves to the needs of others.  R.
Spirit of power, bestow the gift of your strength upon us.  R
Spirit of truth, guide us to walk in the way of Christ.  R.

SONG OF PRAISE:  Luke 1:46-55

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;
because he has looked upon the humiliation of his servant.
Yes, from now onwards all generations will call me blessed,
for the Almighty has done great things for me.
Holy is his name, and his faithful love extends age after age
to those who fear him.
He has used the power of his arm, he has routed the arrogant of heart.
He has pulled down princes from their thrones and raised high the lowly,
He has filled the starving with good things, sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his faithful love,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.

LITANY OF PRAISE: Holy is your name, O Lord!

SCRIPTURE READING:  Acts of the Apostles 1:12-14

So from the Mount of Olives, as it is called, the apostles went back to Jerusalem, a short distance away, no more than a Sabbath walk; and when they reached the city they went to the upper room where they were staying; there were Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James, son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Jude, son of James. With one heart all these joined constantly in prayer, together with some women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

The word of the Lord.

REFLECTION: (Fr.Raniero Cantalamessa OFM.Cap)
Considering how rarely Mary is mentioned in the New Testament, it comes as a bit of a surprise to realise that, in fact, she was present at all three stages that form the Christian mystery and the Church; that is, at the Incarnation, the Passion, Death and Resurrection of her Son and at Pentecost. In the upper room, Mary is mentioned together with other women, just as she was on Calvary. To all appearances, she was present just like any one of these, neither more nor less. But here, too, the title “Mother of Jesus”, which comes immediately after her name, puts her on a much higher level than the women and even the apostles themselves. What does the fact that Mary was present as the mother of Jesus signify? That the Holy Spirit, who was about to come, was “the Spirit of her Son”! There was an objective and indestructible bond between her and the Holy Spirit: the same Jesus that together they both gave birth to. In the Creed we say that Jesus became incarnate “by the power of the Holy Spirit from the Virgin Mary.” Mary was not, therefore, in the upper room, the cenacle, simply as one of the women.
Beneath the Cross, Mary appeared as the mother of the Church; now, in the cenacle, she appeared as the godmother of the Church – a strong and sage godmother. In order to become a godmother, a person must first have been baptized. This was the case of Mary: she was baptized by the Spirit and now assisted the Church at its baptism by the Spirit. When an adult is being baptized, the godmother helps with the preparations, and this was what Mary did with the apostles and does with us.

INTERCESSIONS: Lord Jesus, may your mother pray for us.

CLOSING PRAYER:Almighty God, you loved the world so much that you gave your only Son to take on our human nature and be born of the Virgin Mary; grant that as we are reborn in him, so we may always be supported by the love and prayers of his mother and every day grow in the grace of the Holy Spirit, until we are brought to sing your praises with her in heaven: through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.