Opening Prayer Series: 21st Sunday of Year C

OPENING PRAYER SERIES.

THE MASS:OPENING PRAYER SERIES. ICON.

OPENING PRAYER

The Opening Prayer of the Mass for the 21st Sunday of the Year reads as follows:

Let us pray 

(that God will make us one in mind and heart)

Father,

help us to seek the values,

that will bring us lasting joy in this changing world.

In our desire for what You promise 

make us one in mind and heart.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

In making this prayer tangible for my life during this week, the following reflection questions emerged: 

1. What would it mean to me for God to make me one in heart and mind?

2. What are the values that will bring me lasting joy?

3. What does God promise me?

4. What areas of my mind and heart are not one with God?

5. How will I ask God to help me change these areas?-what is my action plan to change?

6. What steps will I take this week to be one in heart and mind with God within me?

GOSPEL REFLECTION

Today's Gospel invites all of us from East to West to come and take our place in the Kingdom. However, it is not a given, in the sense of we can do what we like and ignore God. No, in this sense, we must earn our place by the way we live.

God is offering us an invitation- and like all invitations, we choose to attend or not.  If we choose to attend the invitation, we do not attend unprepared. In our spiritual life, we need to accept God's invitation into the kingdom and start our preparation with excited expectation.  Like any great invitation, we look forward to the event. There is no greater event than meeting God face to face.  

We are over half way through the liturgical year. During this week why not review the commitment that we made at the beginning of the liturgical year in Advent  to grow in our faith.  How are you going with that commitment? Are you making progress or have you backslid?

Jesus is patient with our failures.  Let us take up the challenge to start afresh this week and grow in the love of God and in our faith.  Let us take God's invitation to the Kingdom seriously and let's prepare ourselves for that great day of meeting God face to face.

' Go all to all the world and tell the Good News'