Opening Prayer Series:
The Mass: Opening Prayer Series Icon.
OPENING PRAYER
The Opening Prayer for the Ninth Sunday of Year A reads as follows:
Let us pray
(for God's care and protection)
Father, Your love never fails.
Hear our call.
Keep us from danger
and provide for all of our needs.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
In making this prayer tangible, the
following reflection questions emerged:
- In what specific areas of my life do I need God's care and protection?
- How can I acknowledge Your unfailing love in my life this week?
- What dangers could ensnare me as I consider my Lenten programme of prayer, fasting and alms giving?
- What specific physical, emotional and spiritual needs do I need God's providence?
GOSPEL REFLECTION
The first part of the Gospel also is
a timely reminder for those in ministry in the Church. It is essential to pray,
but we also need to act on what we have heard from our prayer time. It
is great to be involved in a ministry in the parish, but Jesus wants it to be
for His greater glory not ours
In today's Gospel, Jesus encourages
us to do the will of my Father in Heaven? We may ask ourselves, like
generations before and generations to come 'what is doing God's will'? It
is a difficult question, one which we all need to find our own individual answer.
However, this Gospel seems to indicate that it is about making choices. We make
a choice even if we decide not to make a choice. It is still a choice to
a degree. The key to making the best choices we can is to listen to God's
word and then act upon them. Jesus likens this to 'being a sensible man
who built his house on rock'.
If our spiritual growth so far this
year has been limited, let us take this opportunity to start again.
Lent begins this week with Ash
Wednesday, and although it is not a holy day of obligation, it is an invitation
to 'Repent and believe the Good News'.
Let us make the choice to build our house on the Rock of Christ
by listening to Him and acting upon it.
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