Eucharistic Prayer Part 5: Memorial Prayer- anamnesis

 ABOUT THE MASS SERIES VOL 2

Mass at Nazareth: About the Mass Series Vol 2 Icon.

Eucharistic Prayer Part 5. ‘Memorial Prayer-anamnesis’.

 

The Passover is a feast whose participants make memory, ‘anamnesis’ in Greek of the whole saving and liberating action of God in the historical past.  However, this is not a ‘remembering’ in the usual sense of the word; rather it is a making present, a re-actualizing for ‘today’ of something that occurred in the past.  Therefore the ‘anamnesis’ is the fulfillment of the command received from Christ through the apostles. The Church keeps his memorial by recalling his passion, resurrection and ascension.

 

In other words, by doing what Jesus has done, the church makes living the memory of Christ’s saving deeds, and the fullness and power of the Pascal mystery continues to be present as an on-going reality when the church celebrates the Eucharist.

 

It is important to realise that this memorial prayer comes straight after the acclamation of faith, and although the wording is different in each of the Eucharistic prayers, the essential elements are embedded there to commemorate the death, resurrection of Jesus and to proclaim his glory.

 

Eucharistic Prayer 1: ‘Therefore, O Lord, as we celebrate the memorial of the blessed Passion, the Resurrection from the dead, and the glorious Ascension into heaven of Christ, your Son, our Lord,..’

 

Eucharistic Prayer 11: ‘Therefore, as we celebrate the memorial of his Death and Resurrection, we offer you, Lord, the Bread of life and the Chalice of salvation, giving thanks that you have held us worthy to be in your presence and minister to you.’

 

Eucharistic Prayer 111: ‘Therefore, O Lord, as we celebrate the memorial of the saving Passion of your Son, his wondrous Resurrection and Ascension into heaven, and as we look forward to his second coming, we offer you in thanksgiving this holy and living sacrifice.’

Eucharistic Prayer IV: ‘Therefore, O Lord, as we now celebrate the memorial of our redemption, we remember Christ’s Death and his descent to the realm of the dead, we proclaim his Resurrection and his Ascension to your right hand,
and, as we await his coming in glory, we offer you his Body and Blood,
the sacrifice acceptable to you which brings salvation to the whole world.

 

 The Mass therefore is rich and gives us much to reflect upon.  

 

So why be bored at Mass?

 

Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians

PRAYER SERIES.
 

Holy Spirit: Prayer Series Icon

Today is the Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians.   Mary is the patroness of Australia under this title. If you would like to know the origin of this feast of Our Lady Help of Christians click here.

The Collect  for the Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians reads as follows:

Lord, 

You place deep in our hearts the love of Mary, Help of Christians,

through her prayers,

grant wisdom to our leaders and integrity to our citizens.

Under her protection, may Australia be granted harmony, justice and peace. 

SUGGESTED ACTION.

1. may all Australians pray for our country.

2.  Say this prayer each day/week for this coming year. Then through our prayers of intercession, our country may indeed be granted wisdom to our leaders and integrity to our citizens.
Let us start praying for our country today on our feast day.

3.Use this prayer to pray for your own country since Mary is indeed help of all Christians.

4. Say one decade of the Rosary for your country. 

Collect for Pentecost Sunday Year B

 

PENTECOST SUNDAY YEAR B

COLLECT 

The Mass: Collect Series Icon.

The Collect for Pentecost Sunday Year B reads as follows:

 

God our Father, who by sending into the world the Word of truth
and the Spirit of sanctification

made known to the human race Your wondrous mystery,

Grant us, we pray, that in profession the true faith,

we may acknowledge the Trinity of eternal glory and adore Your Unity,

powerful in majesty.

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.

 

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

 

In making this prayer tangible, the following reflection questions emerged:

1. What is my relationship with Holy Spirit?
2. What does Pentecost Sunday mean to my life?
3. What gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit do I wish to receive this Pentecost Sunday?
4. How can I acknowledge the Trinity of eternal glory?

GOSPEL REFLECTION

Come Holy Spirit.

   The Gospel for today is from St John.  Jesus tells us that the Holy      Spirit will guide us and give us what we need to know. Jesus knows each of us by name and by personality. Jesus knows what each of us can manage at any given time. The Spirit knows what we can manage and how to tell us the truth. It is our choice to accept and acknowledge what He has to offer.

 

Jesus also invites us to be witnesses to the truth.  We need to know and accept the truth before we can share it with others.  We need to be able to share the Good News with others.  We can do this in a mighty way through the power of the Holy Spirit through prayer and by the way we live our every day lives in our families, parish, workplace, those whom we meet in the street.  Simple gestures such a kind word or a smile can be life changing and healing for others.  If we ask the Holy Spirit to respond to others in the way they need, then our simple kind words, gestures or smile will be transforming as the Holy Spirit will transform them into a way that is within reach of that other person.  The other person may not be aware or may not accept it but at the right time for that person, that seed of kindness, a warm smile or gesture will have been sown and it will bear much fruit.

 

The Holy Spirit can be for some of us, a poor second cousin to God the Father, or Jesus His Son.  However, the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Blessed Trinity-three persons yet one God as our Catholic Faith tells us.  Today's Gospel makes it perfectly clear that the Holy Spirit will lead us to the complete truth and what is told to us will be taken from Father God and Jesus.  In other words, it will be in total unity as is the Triuune God.

 

The Holy Spirit needs therefore to be our best friend, since what He tells us is in direct harmony with Father God and Jesus His Son. Yet, the Holy Spirit will provide the graces and gifts that we need for our daily lives, just as He did with the disciples after Jesus had ascended to Heaven.  It is through the Holy Spirit that the Church is guided, and we are in our personal prayer guided by Him too.  It is that quiet little voice that 

·                     prompts us to do the right thing and stand up for what we believe when it would
             easier to walk away,

·                     helps us examine our conscience of any wrong doing/sin/faults which we need
             to confess,

·                     guides us to do the will of God in our lives.

·                     is our consolation in times of grief and confusion.

·                     brings us a greater awareness and understanding of our faith

·                     supports us in our life journey and is our best friend.

Of course, there are the 7 traditional gifts of the Holy Spirit and the 12 fruits which emanate from them which we are given in a special way at Confirmation.  However, although we receive them then, we can always ask the Holy Spirit daily to increase in us these gifts and fruits, and supply for us what is lacking at our present time.  

 

It seems to me that the Holy Spirit gives each of us an extra special dose of the gift/s that we most need for our lives, a gift we use more often than the other gifts- for me, that gift has been courage and perseverance. When life has been tough, I know with God's help that I can dig deep and draw on these gifts.   Perhaps, you may have had a similar observation in your life. Of course, we do not need to wait until life is tough, but we can draw on these gifts each day in our daily lives.

 

The Holy Spirit came to the disciples as promised by Jesus. They were no longer afraid but went out and preached the Good News.  On this feast of Pentecost, which is the birthday of the Church, she invokes the Holy Spirit to fall afresh on us, and with that, we can ask Him to provide the gifts/fruits we most need for our lives. We can be filled anew- a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit is a wonderful grace to receive again.  Let us be open to receive the Holy Spirit afresh in our hearts and to be eagerly awaiting to receive the gift/s He has to offer us on His special Feast- the feast of Pentecost.

 

Come Holy Spirit.

 

Happy Birthday to all my readers on this  great feast of Pentecost.

 

 

Collect for the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

SOLEMNITY OF THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD YEAR B

The Mass: Collect Series Icon.

COLLECT 

The Collect for the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord Year B reads as follows:

Gladden us with holy joys, almighty God,

and make us rejoice with devout thanksgiving,

for the Ascension of Christ your Son is our exaltation,

and, where the Head has gone before in glory,

the Body is called to follow in hope.

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.

 

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

 

In making this prayer tangible, the following reflection questions emerged:

What does holy joys and devout thanksgiving mean to me?

What difference does the Solemnity of the Ascension make to my life?

How will I live in the hope of future this coming week?

What spiritual changes do I need to make this coming week to my spiritual life?

What hope do I really have in my heart regarding following Jesus to heaven?

 

GOSPEL REFLECTION

The Ascension of Jesus.

The Gospel for today is from Mark 16: 15-20. Here Jesus gives the disciples and the Church its mission:’ Go out to all the world and tell the good news’.  He also points out that those who believe will be saved but those who do not will be condemned.  In other words, believing in the Good News of Jesus is our choice, but when we make that choice, we know that we either will be saved or condemned.  

 

Then Jesus tells His disciples and the church too what to expect from believers by providing them with the signs.  Some of these signs seem difficult for us to comprehend such as picking up a deadly snake and not being harmed.  However, this is the point.  The more difficult the sign to comprehend the more we need faith to believe and to know that we, too as believers can partake of these signs today in 2021.

 

It must have been difficult for the disciples to see Jesus go back to heaven especially as they had reconnected with Him after His Resurrection.  Yet, the disciples went out and preached everywhere.  They responded to the command of Jesus when He was no longer physically present to them. 

 

Are we preaching everywhere too, such as our family, workplace, supermarket, person in the street?  Often a smile or a kind word or withholding a critical judgement can make a huge difference to the life of another person.  Are we filled with hope of future glory?  If my life ended today, am I ready to go to Heaven?

 

Every day we need to be making progress on reaching the goal of Heaven.  We need to be looking forward not backwards.  We may have made huge mistakes. Go to the sacrament of Reconciliation and be healed and absolved from our sins by Jesus through the ministry of the priest.  We need to want to take others to heaven with us. We need to live in hope of future glory.

 

 

God's assurance

 

REFLECTION AND PRAYER SERIES.

My reflection and prayer series is about sharing reflections and Prayers which have impacted upon me and have provided food for thought. I hope that they will also nurture your soul and spirit.

 

My Scripture reflection is 

 

''My God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus”   

(Philippians 4:19)

 

Christ The Redeemer.

 

 

My post is called:

 

God’s assurance.

Thank You for the assurance that You care about our needs,

that You hear our cries for help,

and will comfort and deliver those who call.

 

No 130 How is the Resurrection the work of the Trinity

 

COMPENDIUM SERIES

JESUS THE TEACHER:  Compendium Series Icon.

 

 

No 130.  How is the Resurrection the work of the Holy Trinity? (CCC648-650)

WHAT DOES THE COMPENDIUM SAY?

Compendium states:

The Resurrection of Christ is a transcendent work of God.  The Three Persons act together according to what is proper to them: The Father manifests His Power, the Son “takes again” the life to which He freely offered (Jn 10: 17) reuniting His soul and His body to which the Spirit brings to life and glorifies.

What does this mean for me?

1.    I do not understand the Resurrection fully but I can thank the Trinity for the Resurrection of Christ and bringing us future hope.

2.    As I say the Apostles Creed and Nicene Creed, I can reflect more on what the resurrection means for me and what I may hope for after death.

Questions to consider.?

1.  What is my belief and hope when I contemplate the dogma of the resurrection?
2.    How does the Trinity act in my life?

 

 

 

Praying Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 

PRAYER SERIES

Holy Spirit: Prayer Series Icon.

Do you ever feel dry in prayer, stopped praying, would like to explore a different way to pray?

Throughout this series I would like to present some different ways to pray.  Many of them you will have heard of before, some of them you have already tried but might like to revisit and others may provide a different way into prayer.

 

In today’s post, I bring to you for your consideration the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

A litany is a prayer consisting of a series of invocations and supplications by the priest/leader with alternate responses by the congregation (e.g., the Litany of the Saints).  It is most often used as communal prayer in the church but it can also be used for personal use in the family or individually.

The word comes through Latin litania from Ancient Greek λιτανεία, which in turn comes from λιτή, meaning "supplication".

The Litanies are independent acts of worship. They are important acts of homage to the Blessed Virgin Mary, or as processional elements, or form part of a celebration of the Word of God or of other acts of worship.

Litanies usually have a structure.  The first and fourth stanzas contain six lines, the second: seven, and the third: five. These lines are written in free verse, meaning they are unrhymed and do not conform to a specific metrical pattern.

The litany has been in existence for many years, as it has been mentioned in writings as early as the fifth century.  The litany only gained popularity from then onward, as a council later on in 529 remarked on the beautiful custom of repeating the Kyrie, and encouraged Catholics to practice the devotion not only in the Mass but also while praying the Divine Office.  As years went on and Catholicism spread and developed, more and more forms of the litany came into existence, and many appeared that we now recognize and pray today, like the Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, the Litany of the Immaculate Conception and the Litany of St. Joseph.   

Praying the litany thus becomes a beautiful way in which we can unite ourselves closer to God and His Church, and allow the Catholic faith to more fully permeate our lives.

 

LITANY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY.

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God,
Have mercy on us.

Holy Mary ,pray for us.
Holy Mother of God, pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us.
Mother of Christ, pray for us.
Mother of divine grace, pray for us.
Mother most pure, pray for us.
Mother most chaste, pray for us.
Mother inviolate, pray for us.
Mother undefiled, pray for us.
Mother most amiable, pray for us.
Mother most admirable, pray for us.
Mother of good counsel, pray for us.
Mother of our Creator, pray for us.
Mother of our Saviour, pray for us.
Virgin most prudent, pray for us.
Virgin most venerable, pray for us.
Virgin most renowned, pray for us.
Virgin most powerful, pray for us.
Virgin most merciful, pray for us.
Virgin most faithful, pray for us.
Mirror of justice, pray for us.
Seat of wisdom, pray for us.
Cause of our joy, pray for us.
Spiritual vessel, pray for us.
Vessel of honour, pray for us.
Singular vessel of devotion, pray for us.
Mystical rose, pray for us.
Tower of David, pray for us.
Tower of ivory, pray for us.
House of gold, pray for us.
Ark of the Covenant, pray for us.
Gate of Heaven, pray for us.
Morning star, pray for us.
Health of the sick, pray for us.
Refuge of sinners, pray for us.
Comforter of the afflicted, pray for us.
Help of Christians, pray for us.
Queen of angels, pray for us.
Queen of patriarchs, pray for us.
Queen of prophets, pray for us.
Queen of apostles, pray for us.
Queen of martyrs, pray for us.
Queen of confessors, pray for us.
Queen of virgins, pray for us.
Queen of all saints, pray for us.
Queen conceived without Original Sin, pray for us.
Queen assumed into Heaven, pray for us.
Queen of the most holy Rosary, pray for us.
Queen of peace, pray for us.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God,
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, that we Thy Servants may enjoy perpetual health of mind and body and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, be delivered from present sorrow and enjoy eternal happiness. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Approved by Pope Sixtus V in 1587

SUGGESTED ACTION PLAN FOR THIS WEEK.

1. Pray the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary each day during this week.
2. Select a title of Mary from the Litany that you do not understand or would like to know more.  Do some research on that title from a reputable catholic website.
3. Select a title for the morning/ afternoon and evening and on the hour pray that title to Mary.
4. Gather the family together and recite the Litany of Blessed Virgin Mary during May.
5. Have a family discussion regarding some of the titles of the Blessed Virgin Mary used in the Litany.