Opening Prayer Series: 7th Sunday of Year A

OPENING PRAYER SERIES

The Mass: Opening Prayer Series.

 

OPENING PRAYER 

The Opening Prayer for the Seventh Sunday of Year A reads as follows:

Let us pray

(that God will make us more like Christ His Son)

Father,

Keep before us the wisdom and love 
You have revealed in Your Son.

Help us to be like Him in word and deed

for He lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit

one God, for ever and ever.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

In making this prayer tangible for this week, the following reflection questions emerged.

1. What is Christ like? How do I find out?
2. How do I become more like Christ?
3. How do I keep before me the wisdom and love of Christ?
4. How do I be like Christ in word and deed?
5. After exploring more what Christ is like, name one aspect of my life that I will emulate Christ (e.g. at work, in traffic, with family, with parishioners, neighbours, strangers).

GOSPEL REFLECTION

Today’s Gospel is a continuation of the sermon on the mount Chapter 5. In today’s Gospel, we are given a mighty goal to achieve’ Be perfect just as your Heavenly Father is perfect’. We may be realists and say ‘no human is perfect’. That is true, but with God’s help, we can be perfected. We have to start and we have to try. God asks us to achieve what the world thinks as impossible standards ( or perhaps stupid). We are a work in progress, provided we actually start the race to our heavenly home.

 

It takes courage and persistence to pray for one’s enemies, and to do good to those who persecute you. Most people want nothing to do with their enemies and to pray for them may seem impossible. Yet, in the very act of praying for them, our hearts become softened. We may not become best buddies with them, but in time, the healing process takes place. The sheer act of praying for our enemies is courageous on our part, but necessary for our own spiritual and emotional growth.

There are other aspects of today’s gospel as well for us to ponder and reflect. Make a decision today to read again this gospel and put it into action in some way in your life this week.