Our Sunday Supplication
Sunday, June 28, 2020
Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Holy Mass is at the very core of our worship as a Catholic community. Nothing can ever be substituted for the celebration of the Eucharist. But in this exceptional time of difficulty for our communities, our nation, and even the whole world, this order of prayer can be offered by individuals and families and engages us in our Sunday celebration of the Word of God. We can pray this prayer in our homes—the “domestic churches” which help build up the Body of Christ on earth—and thus be connected to the entire Church at prayer.
During this time of prayer, we include the opportunity to make a Spiritual Communion, since we are presently unable to receive Holy Communion. Making a Spiritual Communion is a worthy practice, recommended by innumerable saints throughout the ages, which unites our whole selves to God and his Church. For, despite not being able to celebrate Mass together, this is certainly not a time to abandon the praise and supplication of almighty God, for he never abandons us! Now is the time to love and serve the Lord as best we can in our limited capacities.
Order of Prayer
Taken from the Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours
Introduction
Leader: God, ✠ come to my assistance.
Response: Lord, make haste to help me.
Leader: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Response: as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Hymn
Lord, whose love in humble service
Bore the weight of human need,
Who upon the cross, forsaken,
Offered mercy’s perfect deed:
We, your servants, bring the worship
Not of voice alone, but heart,
Consecrating to your purpose
Ev’ry gift that you impart.
As we worship, grant us vision,
Till your love’s revealing light
In its height and depth and greatness
Dawns upon our human sight,
Making known the needs and burdens
Your compassion bids us bear,
Stirring us to faithful service,
Your abundant life to share.
Called from worship into service,
Forth in your great name we go
To the child, the youth, the aged,
Love in living deeds to show.
Hope and health, goodwill and comfort,
Counsel, aid, and peace we give
That your children, Lord, in freedom,
May your mercy know, and live.
Act of Contrition
Leader: Let us acknowledge our sins, and seek the Lord’s pardon and peace.
Together: I confess to almighty God
and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have greatly sinned,
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done and in what I have failed to do,
through my fault, through my fault,
through my most grievous fault;
therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin,
all the Angels and Saints,
and you, my brothers and sisters,
to pray for me to the Lord our God.
Leader: O God, who through the grace of adoption
chose us to be children of light,
grant, we pray,
that we may not be wrapped in the darkness of error
but always be seen to stand in the bright light of truth.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Together: Amen.
The Sunday Readings
A reading from the second book of Kings (2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16A)
One day Elisha came to Shunem, where there was a woman of influence, who urged him to dine with her. Afterward, whenever he passed by, he used to stop there to dine. So she said to her husband, “I know that Elisha is a holy man of God. Since he visits us often, let us arrange a little room on the roof and furnish it for him with a bed, table, chair, and lamp, so that when he comes to us he can stay there.” Sometime later Elisha arrived and stayed in the room overnight.
Later Elisha asked, “Can something be done for her?” His servant Gehazi answered, “Yes! She has no son, and her husband is getting on in years.” Elisha said, “Call her.” When the woman had been called and stood at the door, Elisha promised, “This time next year you will be fondling a baby son.”
The Word of the Lord.
―Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 89:2-3, 16-17, 18-19)
Reader: For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
Together: For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
Reader: The promises of the LORD I will sing forever,
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, “My kindness is established forever;”
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
Together: For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
Reader: Blessed the people who know the joyful shout;
in the light of your countenance, O LORD, they walk.
At your name they rejoice all the day,
and through your justice they are exalted.
Together: For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
Reader: You are the splendor of their strength,
and by your favor our horn is exalted.
For to the LORD belongs our shield,
and the Holy One of Israel, our king.
Together: For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
A Reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans (Romans 6:3-4, 8-11)
Brothers and sisters: Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.
If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him. As to his death, he died to sin once and for all; as to his life, he lives for God. Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus.
The word of the Lord.
―Thanks be to God.
Gospel Verse (1 Peter 2:9)
Reader: You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation;
Together: announce the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Matthew 10:37-42)
Jesus said to his apostles: “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
"Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because the little one is a disciple—amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
―Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ
For Reflection:
- In the First Reading, the woman of Shunem recognized the presence of God in the prophet Elisha and responded by showing him great kindness and hospitality. How can we become more aware of God’s presence in others this week? What can we do – even in the midst of the pandemic – to show others kindness and hospitality?
- As Christ’s disciples, we are called to follow his Paschal way by taking up our own crosses in order to rise to newness of life. What are the crosses are we called to bear, and what attachments is Jesus asking us to let go of in order to be worthy to share in his Resurrection?
- “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” Through our love service and witness to the Gospel, others may encounter the presence of Christ and the love of the Father. Who is God calling us to reach out to this week?
Response to the Word
Leader: Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on us.
Response: Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on us.
Leader: You are seated at the right hand of the Father,
Response: have mercy on us.
Leader: Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Response: Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on us.
Prayer of the Faithful
Leader: Christ is the sun that never sets, the true light that shines on every man.
Let us call out to him in praise:
Response: Lord, you are our life and our salvation.
Leader: Creator of the stars, we thank you for your gift, the first rays of the dawn,
and we commemorate your resurrection.
Response: Lord, you are our life and our salvation.
Leader: May your Holy Spirit teach us to do your will today,
and may your Wisdom guide us always.
Response: Lord, you are our life and our salvation.
Leader: Each Sunday give us the joy of gathering as your people,
around the table of your word and your body.
Response: Lord, you are our life and our salvation.
Leader: From our hearts we thank you, for your countless blessings.
Response: Lord, you are our life and our salvation.
Leader: Through the promptings of the Holy Spirit, guide your Church
and all people of goodwill to act together to end violence and racism.
Response: Lord, you are our life and our salvation.
Leader: In your mercy, continue to sanctify all who are afflicted from the present pandemic, and draw us all closer to you, and to one another, in this time of suffering.
Response: Lord, you are our life and our salvation.
The Lord's Prayer
Leader: Let us pray together as Jesus taught us:
Together: Our Father, who art in heaven …
Spiritual Communion
Leader: You have given us bread from heaven, alleluia, alleluia.
Response: Containing in itself all delight, alleluia, alleluia.
Together: My Jesus,
I believe that you are present
in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
I love you above all things,
and I desire to receive you into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment 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,
my Lord and my God!
Amen.
Canticle of Praise
Canticle of Zechariah (Luke 1:68-79)
Together: ✠ Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
Conclusion
Leader: ✠ May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil,
and bring us to everlasting life.
Together: Amen.
