Pentecost and beyond: living and sharing our life with God in the everyday!
God with us in every day relationships
How was it for you? Easter? Pentecost? Trinity Sunday?
Walking alongside our elect, we have trod the lenten path in preparation for sacraments of initiation at Easter. We have rejoiced with them in the Easter Vigil, and have lived and shared our faith with our new Catholic members throughout the 50-days of the Resurrection of the Lord. We havecontinued with joy through Pentecost, and yesterday, with the feast of the Most Holy Trinity we again gathered together as a parish community, Body of Christ, to know, celebrate and experience how much God loves us. I was very struck by the Opening Prayer yesterday - in the current 1973 Missal translation: '
Father, you sent your Word to bring us truth and your Spirit to make us holy. Through them we come to know the mystery of your life. Help us to worship you, one God in three Persons, by proclaiming and living our faith in you.
The 1998 Icel text, also in our current missals as an alternative opening prayer reads:
God, we praise you. Father all-powerful, Christ Lord and Saviour, Spirit of love. You reveal yourself in the depths of our being, drawing us to share in your life and your love. One God, three Persons, be near to the people formed in your image, close to the world your love brings to life.
In the first Reading God proclaims Godself to be 'a God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in kindness and faithfulness.' In the second reading we are exorted to 'try to grow perfect, help one another, be united, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.' In the Gospel 'God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life.'
If we are praying these texts, opening our hearts and lives, they will have an impact - they will renew us and shape us, and be the lens through which we see the world and respond to people and events in the ordinary every-day of life. Every moment, bidden or unbidden, God is with us, revealing Godself in the depths of our being, drawing us to share in the Divine Life and Love. Wow! It's all a mind-blowing mystery. We are made new! We dont have to react in the same old way when the wrong buttons are pushed. We can see things differently, we can take the long view. Summer is a great time to allow this renewal to get into our bones - like vitamin D from sunshine, we need it. In quietly reflecting on our experience of the liturgy - what did I hear? What did I see? What did I sense? What did I touch? - we will find ourselves living it! Yes, the Lord is with you! The words and actions of the liturgy reflecting our relationship and sharing in the life of God, are echoed in the actions and words of daily events, daily encounters with others. As St Benedict use to say when he encoutered an old friend 'It is Easter indeed!'
Action?
Tune in and be consciously aware more often during the day - to the Word and the Spirit at work in YOU, achieving so much more than you can ask or imagine!
Look out and see just how close God is to the world his love brings to life.
In your journeys to and fro, God direct you. In your happiness and pleasure, God bless you. In care, anxiety, or trouble, God sustain you. In peril and in danger, God protect you. (Archbishop Timothy Olufsen, 1918-1992, Nigeria)
LENT AGAIN
For many in the parish, there can be that feeling that it is Lent again with decisions to be made: what to give up, what works of charity to do, what groups to go to, how to prepare for easter. But one group will be experiencing LENT as a whole new experience: those to be initiated through the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and eucharist, and those to be received into full communion with the catholic church.
I would like to suggest that sharing this period of Purification and Enlightenment with the whole parish could be a spiritual experience that the whole community share. Of course this is not a new idea for :
In the liturgy and liturgical catechesis of Lent the reminder of baptism already received or the preparation for its reception, as well as the theme of repentance, renew the entire community along with those being prepared to celebrate the paschal mystery..... For both the elect and the local community, therefore the Lenten season is a time for spiritual recollection in preparation for the celebration of the paschal mystery. RCIA 125.
The period consists ‘ more in interior reflection than in catechetical instruction, and is intended to purify the minds and hearts of the elect as they search their own consciences and do penance’ RCIA 126
Perhaps some questions to ask include:
- Is the whole community aware of the names of the candidates, and are they supporting their journey?
- What opportunities are being offered to allow the elect to experience a deeper knowledge of Christ?
- Is this an opportunity for some catechesis of the parish about the RCIA process?
- Is this an evangelising opportunity for those who may be wavering on the threshold?
Prayer is a vital part of any spiritual preparation. There will be many forms of prayer: praying the rosary, the stations of the cross, reflecting in depth on the Opening Prayer. This could be a time to share the many different forms of prayer not only among the candidates, but throughout the community.
- TIP Invite people to bring a prayer that is special to them and pin them on a board at the back of the church or somewhere that is visible to the whole community. Watch it grow in size and variety.
A handy resource is Alison Berger’s A Prayerbook for Catechumens Twenty-third Publications
“You are the salt of the earth…” Yes, but how?
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Well, have you noticed how salt improves the taste of the food that comes into contact with it? In the right amount of course, salt somehow makes the food more interesting; it brings out its characteristic flavour. So what is the particular gift, trait or value in us, in me, that brings out the best in my environment? And where around me is the taste bland, boring or lacking that pleasant “something” – a clear sign that the Gospel is missing? Or am I just safely clustering around the other “bits” of salt, the other Christians, creating salty “rocks” that are too big a dose for any regular consumption? The world longs for our “pinch of salt” - in moderation, but also in generosity…
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With salt in our diet, lots of things transpire. Salt makes people thirsty for example. But thirst is a good starting point for anyone looking for living water. It motivates and drives people to quench their need. So which elements of my life make people around me thirsty “for more”?
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Salt is also an ancient food preservative; it prolongs the sell-by date of meat by fending off the rot. Equally, our faith and the gift of our relationship with Christ can preserve “the flesh” in a confident hope of resurrection. This can be contagious too, despite the hardships we face. Our “saltiness” in season and out of season can enable those around us to pluck up courage and dare to hope for some meaning in the midst of various crises, pain, sin or suffering. In fact, even our tears are full of salt…
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Salt is occasionally used to thaw ice on roads. Similarly, we are called to warm the hardened hearts locked in fear, selfishness, anger or lack of forgiveness. Thus our “saltiness” can help to clear the path to God. However, this undoubtedly means getting “out there”, into the frozen conditions of our cultures, transforming them into safer places. And risking the resulting “melt-down” that binds us irrevocably together. Formerly two different materials, salt and ice, dissolve slowly into a single substance of salty water. Indeed, in Christ all can become one… but only if no one remains the same.
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Unsurprisingly, salt without its salty “edge” loses its purpose. In the same way, when we lose our integrity as Christians, we need “re-salination”. We need to regain that taste of eternity which God has engraved in us. For it is the internal structure of the atoms of salt that makes it taste salty. Equally, the very pattern of Christ in us gives us the unmistakable flavour of God’s children. We are the salt of the earth if we live out of this deep mystery dwelling inside us...
Second Sunday of Advent (Matthew 3:1-12)
"In due course John the Baptist appeared..."
It is amazing how God sends his people “in due course”. This fills me with hope – especially when I realise that the blank page that divides the old and new testaments in our bibles has a “value” of some 400 years’ silence and hunger for the word of God… It took God only about 400 years to send John the Baptist after the last prophet before him - so why should we get impatient when some “church things” are taking a bit longer than we anticipated? And equally, if John the Baptist hadn’t recognised the “due course” and responded, we would have been living a very different “now”. But thanks be to God, he did and:
"...he preached in the wilderness of Judaea..."
Or more precisely, in the wilderness at the far side of Jordan (John 1:28; 10:40). But why is this son of a priest (Luke 1:5-25) hanging around in the desert instead of serving God in the Temple? Why is he “out there,” in the barren land just behind affluent Jericho, far from the main focal point of the religion of his time? Perhaps because the river Jordan is a natural boundary and there is something about being immersed in it by another human being that brings home the striking message of John…
The Israelites crossed the river Jordan under the lead of Joshua (which we could equally transcribe as “Jesus”) in order to reach the Promised Land (Josh 3:15-17); and Elijah would cross the same river also dry-shod before he ascended into heaven in a chariot of fire (2 Kings 2:11), making room for a double portion of his spirit in Elisha (2 Kings 2:9). So is John telling people that they first of all need to retreat from the known religious “landscape” in order to wholeheartedly re-enter the Promised Land with full and conscious commitment? Is he telling them that by doing so they will iron out the path for Elijah’s doubly-zealous spirit to rest on them in the baptism of fire that was to come?
"...and this was his message: ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.’"
Certainly, something amazing is about to happen… Like the dust stirred on the horizon by the hoofs and wheels of a king’s carriage, the certainty of God’s reign drawing near is almost tangible - and so people cannot go about their business as usual. How invigorating it would be if such a sense of expectation and urgency could soak our Advent time like the water must have soaked the garments of those seeking John’s baptism... What is more, even Jesus was happy to preach this is message (Mt 4:17) after the arrest of John.
"This was the man the prophet Isaiah spoke of when he said:
A voice cries in the wilderness: Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight."
This is a quote from the Second Isaiah which was originally addresses to the Jews who had been exiled to Babylon after Jerusalem fell in the 6BC. This was the in-between time when the First Temple was already destroyed and the Second one was waiting yet to be built. Therefore the restored connection between God and his people required a “highway” at that moment in time, a straight path of communication that allowed for the “flow” of God’s presence into human history. And once again a “divine highway surveyor” enters the scene of human history to mark out the path in the wilderness.
"This man John wore a garment made of camel-hair with a leather belt round his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey."
In a certain sense, John the Baptist reminds me of a hippo… Quite a grotesque creature out in the open - but extremely dangerous, especially when plunged in its element. He is cut as a prophet in his camel-hair outfit and leather belt accessory (2 Kings 1:8), feeding on a radical diet of clean (Leviticus 11:21, 22), wholesome and providential food. He thus walks in the footsteps of Samson, Samuel and Elijah. No wonder he attracts some curious attention. In fact, he is a magnet that pulls the whole region into a movement towards the most significant river in his people’s history: the river Jordan.
"Then Jerusalem and all Judaea and the whole Jordan district made their way to him, and as they were baptised by him in the river Jordan they confessed their sins."
So why is it that John often gets just a cursory glance from us? Why is it that we often overlook the fact that he was such a powerful magnet that he drew even Jesus out of his “hidden” life into the “public ministry” as his call echoed “righteousness” in the heart of the Son of God (Mt 21:23-27 & Mt 3:15)? It is perhaps because the realm of water is where John becomes dangerous…and that is perhaps something that does not sit easily with us because the font of baptism contains water too. At any rate, John turns out to be a “wild beast,” defending the territory marked out for God from any sinister trespasser:
"But when he saw a number of Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism he said to them, ‘Brood of vipers, who warned you to fly from the retribution that is coming? But if you are repentant, produce the appropriate fruit, and do not presume to tell yourselves, “We have Abraham for our father,” because, I tell you, God can raise children for Abraham from these stones. Even now the axe is laid to the roots of the trees, so that any tree which fails to produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown on the fire. I baptise you in water for repentance, but the one who follows me is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to carry his sandals; he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fan is in his hand; he will clear his threshing-floor and gather his wheat into the barn; but the chaff he will burn in a fire that will never go out.’"
And maybe John is not so far off the mark when he claims that God can raise Abraham’s children even from stones. There is a master-builder coming soon, known as the carpenter’s son (Mt 13:55) – where carpenter (tekton) means also a stone mason or builder. He will also refer to himself as a cornerstone by the words of Psalm 118 (Mt 21: 42-43), and he will be on an outrageous mission to build a new temple (Jn 2:19). So perhaps the most pertinent question is: do I let myself be chiselled by the master builder this week?
Will he find any faith on earth?
As 'Los 33', the Chilean miners, were winched to the surface one by one in the 'Phoenix' , greeted with such scenes of jubliation in Camp Hope, and around the world, their personal stories began to emerge. One miner said that during those 69 days of incarceration hundreds of meters down in the earth, he had met both God and the devil, and that God had won! Another, on stepping of out the capsule, fell on his knees and prayed his thanksgiving for being brought out of such darkness into light . In the days and weeks ahead we will hear more - life will never be the same again. What caught my imagination was the fact that many people had been praying continually and not losing heart - it echoed with the readings yesterday 29th Sunday Ordinary Time, year C - Moses with his arms raised in prayer for his people, supported on either side by Aaron and Hur; Paul to Timothy saying stick with your faith in Christ and all you have been taught and know to be true, and be guided by it, and Luke, with the parable of the persistent widow.
The real-life drama of the last few weeks in San Jose mine, and the Word of God in sacred scripture intermingled. I wondered what sort of witness to my faith do I both give and receive in the parish community, particularly in our accompaniment of enquirers and catechumens? Is it obvious that we are trying to live what we know to be true, tuning in to the Spirit listening in us, teaching us? Perhaps it is in our darkest times that we recognise our need of rescue - and find that there are life-forces at work unknown to worldly authorities. It could have turned very nasty down there in the dark ruins of the mine - but it seems that other deeper truths were drawn on and sustained them - discipleship seems to function at a level where power does not exist..
This week? Will Christ find evidence of real, living faith in me? Can I open my eyes and ears and heart and notice the sacred encounters the continuing, ongoing, dynamic, saving, healing presence of Christ among us, whether I am in darkness or light, creating that life-giving environment? I think Christ will, Christ does find faith on earth! Do you?
How is God ‘Abba’ to us?
Before all the important moments of his life, Jesus takes time out to be with his father.
Luke gives us a slightly shorter version of Jesus's response to the question 'Teach us to pray', beginning with a simple intimate greeting equivalent to 'Papa' or 'Dad', and continuing as we know 'may your name be held holy, your kingdom come; give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive each one who is in debt to us. And do not put us to the test.' Again the simplicity strikes me - 'may your kingdom come' - may we really live out what we believe and share the life you give us with others, bringing your kingdom among us; and may we rely on you each day to nourish us with your life, and forgive us as we forgive each other. For the catechumen, and for each of us in the community, our life in Christ is like a spiral, ever deepening, the more we open to the truth Jesus gives us. And the truth today is staggering - that God is our 'dad'. In the human family, the dad is traditionally the member of the family responsible for providing for the needs of the body - food, shelter and warmth. He gives identity to his children. SO a son becomes a man and knows himself and his abilities from the way his father relates to him and what he says to and about his son. And in the same way, a daughter gains her identity as a woman through the way her father treats her and communicates with her. The father also provides protection and security. (A mother, and siblings/ friends have different roles in the formation of our person too, which you can align with the Holy Spirit and with Jesus, but I wont go into these here).
Towards the end of the catechumenal journey of conversion (either at the end of the catechumenate period, or during Lent), the Lord's Prayer, our prayer of the church, as an integral part of our daily prayer and our liturgy - is ritually 'presented' or proclaimed for and over the catechumens (or elect) - God is drawing them to himself, like a father who lifts up his child and holds them close (Hosea 11). This is a very moving moment - a moment of recognition of the compassion and love of God calling them to the waters of baptism - as the rite suggests: 'Give them new birth in your living waters, so that they may be numbered among your adopted children.' It is a preparation for the moment when they as baptised Christians will for the first time recite this prayer in the liturgical assembly of the faithful. It is a sign of recognition by the community of the progress of the candidates in spiritual maturity - they recognse who they are becoming. It echoes the process of human development in a family too.
In order for the catechumens to be able to publicly receive and pray the 'Our Father', it would be vitally important for the community, as represented in the team members and sponsor, to be aware of the need for ritual prayer throughout the catechumenate to help them towards this point - blessings, annointing and minor exorcism - all of which are there for affirmation and healing. None of our family backgrounds are perfect by any stretch of the imagination. Ask a room full of people to put up their hands if 
they consider they come from a 'dysfunctional family' and 95% will do so! For all sorts of reasons, our family members may not have understood or were unable to f'perfectly' fulfil their roles in our lives - and this can lead to a misunderstanding of the who God is as Loving Father, or who Jesus is, or the Holy Spirit. The purpose of the blessings, annointings and minor exorcisms are to heal the wounds and lies that may have been learned from our experience, enable us to understand and forgive our families/those in close relationship for any inadequacies in their roles, and to open to the truth of the incredible intimacy offered by God, who says call me 'Abba' , offering identity, security and protection, as well as giving a joyful purpose for our lives as Christian family reaching out to love, heal and serve in the world.
The invitation to the elect following the Presentation of the Lord's Prayer has a prophetic ring about it:
'Although you cannot yet participate fully in the Lord's eucharist, stay with us as a sign of our hope that all God's children will eat and drink with the Lord and work with his Spirit to re-create the face of the earth'.
The Rite of Election approaches – are we ready?
On Sunday next, 1st Sunday of Lent, our catechumens and candidates from across the Diocese will gather in the Cathedral, and be presented to our Bishop with the words :
'They have found strength in God's grace, and support in our community's prayers and example. Now they ask that after the celebration of the scrutinies, they be allowed to participate in the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and the eucharist'.
Those who have journeyed with them to this point find them 'to be sincere in their desire. They have listened to the word of Christ,and endeavoured to follow his commands; they have shared the company of their Christian brothers and sisters and joined with them in prayer', and so the Bishop announces to all present 'that our community has decided to call them to the sacraments', and then once again, he seeks the opinions of the godparents:
'As God is your witness, do you consider these candidates worthy to be admitted to the sacraments of Christian initiation?'
'Have they faithfully listened to God's word proclaimed by the Church?'
Have they responded to that word and begun to walk in God's presence?
Have they shared the company of their Christian brothers and sisters and joined with them in prayer?
And then speakly directly to the catechumens, the Bishop invites them to 'express your response clearly and in the presence of the whole Church', after which they are declared 'members of the elect'. The whole Church are charged with acceptance of these 'chosen of the Lord', and asked to continue to sustain them through 'loving care and example'
Quite a responsibility. Are we ready?
Lent is offered as a gift for the healing, encouragement and renewal of all - the catechumens, candidates, both adults and children, and the whole community:
- to grow in love
- to overcome hesitations and trust in Christ
- to find joy in daily prayer and reflection on the scriptures
- to acknowledge faults and work to correct them
- to share with others the joy found in faith.
In other words, as described in the Rite (RCIA 125-126) it is more about interior reflection than catechetical instruction - a time intended to purify and enlighten minds and hearts through a deeper knowledge and experience of Christ. So let go of anxiety about 'have we given them enough doctrine'/'do they know enough' - after all, the Rite of Election reminds us very firmly that this is a process of initiation - and relax, and allow lent to be the time of 'retreat' and deepening of relationship with Christ.
A friend offered me this Lenten Prayer which may help us to get the focus for Lent right!
Fast from judging others; feast on the Christ dwelling within them. Fast from emphasis on differences; feast on the unity of all life. Fast from apparent darkness; feast on the realityof light. Fast from words that pollute; feast on phrases that purify. Fast from discontent; feast on gratitude. Fast from anger; feast on patience. Fast from pessimism; feast on optimism. Fast from worry; feast on trust. Fast from complaining; feast on appreciation. Fast from negatives; feast on affirmatives; fast from unrelenting pressures; feast on unceasing prayer. Gentle God, during the season of feasting and fasting, gift us with Your Presence, so we can be gift to others in carrying out your work. Amen.
WHAT TIME IS IT FOR YOU?
Advent is such a short season, yet its impact on the church year is phenomenal. There really is something for everyone whatever stage they are at in the RCIA process. For enquirers it might be their first experience of seeing the church in festive mode with the liturgical violet and the Advent wreath. It offers a great opportunity for those who may not yet be regularly attending mass, to explore the inside of the church and see the signs and symbols that speak of Advent. Or perhaps you have planned a celebration of the word of God [RCIA 81] for your catechumens instead of the usual RCIA session.
The second reading is particularly apt to the period of the catechumenate as Paul writes to the Philippians how confident he is
‘that the one who began a good work in you, will continue to
complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.’
That is being experienced by each one now at this very time.
The season offers a special chance for all to experience parish gatherings, whether it is Advent Stations of the Cross, special seasonal small groups, prayer groups, or the practical side of helping with the Bazaar or Fayre. This is a busy time for the SVP and church charities, and don’t forget local initiatives in the neighbourhood for helping those in need. These also offer a chance to work in co-operation with other faiths and people without belief: allow your catechumens to evangelise by their witness.
Perhaps your candidates have creative talents and will help in decorating the church or arranging the flowers. They may help in the organisation of parish social events, or those involving the elderly and the sick.
In the Gospel we are introduced to John the Baptist, who comes out of the wilderness ‘proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins’. Luke records that John son of Zechariah, came at a very precise time in Caesar’s reign: fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah. For our catechumens and candidates it is this precise time that is marking out something great in their life journey: perhaps to be written or drawn in their journal.
This is a time to show how we Catholics look forward to the end of time, and prepare for the coming of Christ, turning what many see as a secular occasion of spending money for one’s immediate friends and family, into a time of celebrating with praise and gladness the joys God has given us.
Here is an idea I heard this week in our small group. Turn the chore of writing Christmas cards into an opportunity to think lovingly of each intended recipient, offering a prayer to them as you sign the card.
Be patient! Be confident!
I find it even more difficult to be patient and wait these days - really I think because of the speed of life, pressure of work, and expectations for instant response. I have an irrational fear of not being ready, or not working hard enough, or of what 'might happen'. And yet as Advent begins, I hear God speak through the First Sunday readings - 'yes, there are nations in agony, and menaces in the world, but dont you be 'coarsened' by the cares of life. Instead, pray for strength, and stand with confidence. Trust in your friendship with God - Christ has already offered salvation, the battle is won, and the life God wants you to live you are living!' That is the Truth, and we are invited to enter, patiently, more deeply into this liberating, life-giving truth. There are tensions in the double-sided message... of 'now' and 'not yet', 'disaster' and 'deliverance', 'destruction' and 'new dawn' - and advent faith says stay awake and actively live with it - and sure enough, if we live the present moment fully, we find signs of the One we are waiting for. As Nouwen says in 'Bread for the Journey' 'waiting patiently always means paying attention to what is happening right before our eyes and seeing there the first rays of God's glorious coming.'
And I see it on the faces of those being 'Welcomed' or 'Accepted' into the Order of Catechumens - they are such witnesses to patient waiting for me! One Enquirer has been coming to Mass with her little nephew for 6 years (since his mother died - she made a promise!). She is actively taking that first step now, and says it feels so exciting, and so natural. Her enthusiasm is catching - the whole parish seem to be full of advent expectation, really loving this 'new' catechumen who brings new life & hope to us - God is bringing order and beauty amidst the chaos, beginnings and endings, death and birth, dark and light, despair and hopem so in a nutshell, love one another and trust God.
I hope Advent starts well for you - enjoy Thom Shuman's poem:
Every evening it's the same: put the key in the deadbolt, turn and lock; check the windows; put out the cat; leave a light on...
all those routines to feel safe and fall asleep in peace.door open ajar
But some night, in the midst of my security, you will tiptoe into my house,
rearranging the furniture, cracking the combination of my heart, and ransacking all my fears.
Then, softly whistling 'Come Thou Long- Expected Jesus' you will slip out, leaving the door standing wide open
that I might follow you into the kingdom.
Come Lord Jesus! Amen!
A prayer every catechumen should know
Listening to the Gospel on Sunday I was struck again by the power of the Magnifcat. It bursts in as a response to Elizabeth's friendly and formal greeting. It is as though these words have been bubbling up in Mary and Elizabeth is first person she has seen who can begin to understand what she is going through.
A favourite bugbear of mine are those songs which are predominantly in the first person, 'songs about me and Jesus, which often come from different ecclesial traditions fit uneasily in our liturgy with its ecclesial/communal dimension. I was once asked, 'yes, but what about the Magnificat - is that in the first person' But looking at the text it anything but self-centred. Elizabeth says Blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled. Mary's response is two-fold: it's not about Mary it is about God — she is blessed for what God has done for her; he is holy, and she has come to realise that the fulfilment of God's promise affects everyone — the world will be turned upside down by the child in her womb. We sometimes forget that Mary sings her song before Christ is born — she is a prophet.
So why should every catechumen know this prayer? Well, it is a core liturgical text. Sung by the Church every day as part of Evening Prayer. It occurs a number of times in the Lectionary either as part of the Gospel, as yesterday on the Assumption, or in place of the psalm. When the liturgy refers to a song of thanksgiving such as following communion or at the end of a penitential service the Magnificat is often given as an example. So part of the reason a catechumen should know it is so that they can participate in the prayer life of the Church. There is both a richness and a radicalism in the text which has sustain the Church's prayer across the centuries.
Furthermore I think it offers a model of prayer:
- that the fundamental attitude or starting point should praise and thanksgiving — for what God has done for us
- that our petitions should remember the lowly and hungry — that God has an option for the poor
- that our prayer links us with the wider Church across time and space — even to Abraham
- that God's promises will be fulfilled.
Some thoughts about putting it into practice
- Ideally introduce the text within the context of the Gospel passage
- Use the Magnificat in your prayer
- Sing it — it's the original Marian hymn. There are plenty of settings — try to use one which sticks closely to the text. If your parish has a regular sung Evening Prayer why not use that version.
- Use it as a building block to praying Evening Prayer together possibly in a simplified form.
- Make or obtain a prayer card with the text on and give one to each catechumen inviting them to pray it every day.
- Have an Advent reflection using the Magnificat perhaps focussing on Mary'. What does the text tell us about Mary?
- Magnificat is the first word of the Latin text and is used a shorthand way of referring to the text in any language. It can be translated as proclaims, rejoices, glorifies.
- The clip art is from a site run by Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in Peru who provide an image for every Sunday