Opening Prayer:
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Our Mission Prayer
Lord Jesus, just as you commissioned St. Simon and St. Jude to
“Go therefore and make disciples”, you are calling us to do the same!
May we respond to you by welcoming all to be part of our Eucharistic Community as we strive to grow in our knowledge, love, and service to God and to one another.
Loving Father, fill us with the power of your Holy Spirit so that we can
go forth proclaiming the Good News to all.
The Day Spiritual Reading:
A Reading from the Apostolic Exhortation on the Vocation and Mission of the Lay Faithful
– By Pope John Paul II
… Following the liturgical renewal promoted by the Council, the lay faithful themselves have acquired a more-lively awareness of the tasks that they fulfill in the liturgical assembly and its preparation, and have become more widely disposed to fulfill them: the liturgical celebration, in fact, is a sacred action not simply of the clergy, but of the entire assembly. It is, therefore, natural that the tasks not proper to the ordained ministers be fulfilled by the lay faithful. In this way there is a natural transition from an effective involvement of the lay faithful in the liturgical action to that of announcing the word of God and pastoral care….
The Holy Spirit, while bestowing diverse ministries in Church communion, enriches it still further with particular gifts or promptings of grace, called charisms.
These can take a great variety of forms, both as a manifestation of the absolute freedom of the Spirit who abundantly supplies them, and as a response to the varied needs of the Church in history. The description and the classification given to these gifts in the New Testament are an indication of their rich variety.
“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues” (1 Cor 12:7-10; cf. 1 Cor 12:4-6, 28-31; Rom 12:6-8; 1 Pt 4:10-11).
…. By a logic which looks to the divine source of this giving, as the Council recalls (80), the gifts of the Spirit demand that those who have received them exercise them for the growth of the whole Church. [Emphasis added.]
Second Vatican Council, Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy Sacrosanctum Concilium, 28; Code of Canon Law, Can. 230 par. 2, that states: “Lay persons can fulfill the function of lector during the liturgical actions by temporary deputation; like-wise all lay persons can fulfill the functions of commentator or cantor or other functions, in accord with the norm of law.”
The Code of Canon Law presents diverse roles and tasks that the lay faithful can fulfill in the organized structure of the Church: cf. Can. 228; 229 par. 3; 317 par. 3; 463 par. 1, 5 and par. 2; 483; 494; 537; 759; 776; 784; 785; 1282; 1421.
“From the reception of these charisms or gifts, even the most ordinary ones, there arises for each believer the right and duty to use them in the Church and in the world for the good of people and the building up of the Church. In doing so believers need to enjoy the freedom of the Holy Spirit who ‘breathes where He wills’ (Jn 3:8). At the same time, they must act in communion with their brothers and sisters in Christ, especially with their pastor” (Apostolicam Actuositatem, 3.).
The Day Topic: Discerning Ministers
Inspired by Pope John Paul II, we are called to discern the gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit and how we can use them to minister in the Church.
The Day Reflection:
The Holy Spirit has given each of us a unique set of gifts. We must all discern how we can best use the gifts that we have been given to serve God and minister in his Church. Discernment is a prayerful process allowing God to speak to us in the silence of our heart. Let us reflect on St. Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians. “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.” (1Corinthians 12:4-7)
Silent Reflection Followed by Optional Sharing
I. Do you allow God to speak to you in the silence of your heart? How?
II. What are some of your gifts and talents that you would like to share more effectively with the parish?
III. How can the parish better support you in discerning and using your gifts and talents?
(State Your Intentions Here…)
Say: 1 Our Father… !0 Hail Marys… 1 Glory be to…
Concluding Prayer:
Novena Prayer
Father God, you revealed yourself to us through the preaching of your apostles Simon and Jude. By their prayers, give your Church continued growth and increase the number of those who believe in you.
O Glorious Saint Simon, you were a cousin of Jesus and a devoted follower as well. You were called “the Zealot,” indicating that you were willing to give your life for your religion and your freedom as a human person. Obtain for us the grace to be willing to give our lives for Christ and to labour for the freedom and peace that only God can give. Help us to spend ourselves for God on earth and be received by him in eternal bliss in heaven.
O Glorious St. Jude, you were honoured to be a cousin as well as a follower of Jesus, and you wrote an Epistle in which you said: “Grow strong in your holy faith through prayer in the Holy Spirit.” Obtain for us the grace of being people of faith and people of prayer. Let us be so attached to the three Divine Persons through faith and prayer on earth that we may be united with them in the glory of the beatific vision in heaven.
Our Glorious Patrons, with faith in your goodness, we ask for your help today. As Christ’s chosen Apostles, you remain pillars and foundations of His Church on earth. You are counted, we know, among the elders who always stand before God’s throne.
From your place of glory, we know you do not forget the needs and difficulties of Christ’s little ones here, still struggling, like us, on the way home to God. Please intercede for us all, gracious St. Simon and St. Jude, and be with us in our daily toil and in all our necessities, especially that we become the people of our Vision Statement.
In Christ’s name, we appeal to you again today. Amen.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!
