✠ In the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lord Jesus, I come to you in sorrow for my failings,
and confess to you my weakness and unbelief.
A brief pause for silent reflection follows
I confess to almighty God
that I have greatly sinned,
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done and in what I have failed to do,
through my fault, through my fault,
through my most grievous fault;
therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin,
and all the Angels and Saints,
to pray for me to the Lord our God.
May almighty God have mercy on us,
forgive us our sins,
and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
The Collect:
May your grace, O Lord, we pray, at all times go before us and follow after, and make us always determined to carry out good works. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Hebrews 4:12-13 The word of God is something alive and active: it cuts like any double-edged sword but more finely: it can slip through the place where the soul is divided from the spirit, or joints from the marrow; it can judge the secret emotions and thoughts. No created thing can hide from him; everything is uncovered and open to the eyes of the one to whom we must give account of ourselves.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom
to mere children. Alleluia!
GOSPEL - Mark chapter 10
Jesus said, ‘My children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle
than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’
They were more astonished than ever.
‘In that case’ they said to one another ‘who can be saved?’
Jesus gazed at them. ‘For men’ he said ‘it is impossible,
but not for God: because everything is possible for God.’
Peter took this up. ‘What about us?’ he asked him.
‘We have left everything and followed you.’
Jesus said, ‘I tell you solemnly, there is no one
who has left house, brothers, sisters, father, children or land
for my sake and for the sake of the gospel
who will not be repaid a hundred times over, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and land – not without persecutions
– now in this present time and, in the world to come, eternal life.’
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
The Homily - WE HAVE LEFT EVERYTHING….
Playwright, journalist, member of the American Congress,
and U.S.ambassador to Italy, Clare Boothe Luce's beauty, talent,
and success made some envious, and others incredulous.
However she made Dorothy Parker, the noted American 20th century satirist, sick!
Someone told Parker that Luce was always kind to her inferiors; to which Parker replied, "Where does she find them?"
On another occasion, the two women arrived at the door at the same time. Luce said "Age before beauty" motioning to Parker to enter first.
As Dorothy Parker walked through the door, she replied
"….And Pearls before Swine!"
How well Dorothy Parker knew her Bible!
On another occasion, Dorothy Parker, perhaps in line with our Gospel reading today, said…..“If you want to know what God thinks of money,
just look at the people he gave it to!”
First- century Galilean fishermen were not made of money,
had far less income than the 1% of the population
who were considered wealthy at the time of Jesus…..
…but they were not among the 90 % of the population
who were below the accepted standard of living either.
When Jesus came along, James and John abandoned
not only the boat, representing their own livelihood,
-but also their father, Zebedee,
leaving him to repair the nets and to fish on his own.
And when Peter chose to follow Jesus, he abandoned not just his boat and his nets, but his Mother-in-Law, and presumably a wife too!
Galilean family fishing businesses, like those of Peter & Andrew,
and the Zebedee boys, were profitable….
In a society where teachers stressed that there was no higher responsibility than the honouring of parents,
including economic responsibility for them,
such behaviour as displayed by James and John, Peter and Andrew,
abandoning the families’ livelihood - was a scandal.
These new disciples risked all – and paid a heavy price,
reputationally and economically,
to follow Jesus, turning their backs on stability.
Their lives were changed, not for their own benefit,
but for the good of others and the good of all.
In losing so much, they nevertheless became
the foundation of the community of faith, the church,
which engaged many in a vision of God’s kingdom,
and continues to do so to this day.
Jesus met them where they were, and they followed.
Jesus meets us where WE are, and invites us to follow.
But he doesn’t ask the impossible of us.
He only asks that we be ourselves.
He asks for “loyalty, not sacrifice” (Hosea 6)
Loyalty, which can only be pursued by listening to Him,
and watching Him.
A loyalty that he asks of our community of faith.
How does The Church of England impact our city with a vision of God's kingdom?
How does Holy Trinity convince our city that we serve a loving, generous God?
WE are God’s manifesto…
If it doesn’t look good, the Church won’t make any impact.
Peter rightly reminded Jesus;
“we have left everything to become your disciples….”
What do I need to leave behind
in order to be a better disciple?
What do I need to take on to be a better disciple?
Jesus is radical. He gives all and he asks all:
he gives a love that is total and asks for an undivided heart. …
Is Jesus enough for us or do we look for other things?
I am a work in progress.
Perhaps you are too.
THE PROFESSION OF FAITH
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
He ascended into heaven,
He is seated at the right hand of the Father,
And he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
PRAYERFUL REFLECTION
“Come in!”
We still welcome people that way:
‘Come right in, welcome, come in and take the weight off your feet!’
It was a phrase Jesus often used:
‘Come to me all you who are over-burdened….” come and rest;
come and eat. ‘Come and see….’
Jesus offer us rest, but also friendship unlike any other; and comfort, strength unlike any other;
healing, guidance, peace, protection,
all offered by Jesus who is
‘gentle and humble of heart’.
Be still, and imagine the Lord calling your name and saying to you:
‘……., come and rest, give Me your worries, come and trust Me, come and listen to Me as I speak to you.’ Listen…….
What do you hear Him say to you?
Lord Jesus Christ,
Your Heart was moved with love
for the men and women who came for help in their need.
You healed the sick,
You fed the hungry,
You forgave sinners,
You cried over Jerusalem,
You must still cry over Jerusalem
and over all our cities.
Lord, Your Heart is still moved today
by Your people and their many needs.
Open our hearts to hear Your word,
to accept Your love,
and to respond to Your call.
I pray with You for justice, peace and love here on earth.
In particular I pray for
(name or situation),
Heart of Jesus,
I place all my trust in You.
Thank you.
(Fr. Charlie Davy SJ for The Sacred Heart Messenger, & Fr. Phil Collins)
SPIRITUAL COMMUNION – A prayer from Fr. Ron Rolheiser
Still my heart, so that I may know that you are God,
that I may know that you create and sustain my every breath,
that you breathe the whole universe into existence every second,
that everyone, myself no less than everyone else, is your beloved,
that you want our lives to flourish,
that you desire our happiness,
that nothing falls outside your love and care,
and that everything and everybody is safe in your gentle, caring hands,
in this world and the next.
At the Saviour’s command
and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil,
graciously grant peace in our days,
that, by the help of your mercy,
we may be always free from sin
and safe from all distress,
as we await the blessed hope
and the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Lord, I am not worthy
that you should enter under my roof,
but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.
Time to sit quietly to receive the Lord’s Presence
spiritually.
“My Jesus, I believe that You are present
in the Most Holy Sacrament of the altar.
I love You above all things,
and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart …
I embrace You as if You were already there
and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You,”
THE PRAYER OF SURRENDER
Father, I abandon myself into your hands;
do with me what you will.
Whatever you may do, I thank you:
I am ready for all, I accept all.
Let only your will be done in me,
and in all your creatures—
I wish no more than this, O Lord.
Into your hands I commend my soul;
I offer it to you with all the love of my heart,
for I love you, Lord, and so need to give myself,
to surrender myself into your hands without reserve,
and with boundless confidence,
for you are my Father.
Charles de Foucauld.
THE BLESSING for ourselves, and all for whom we pray:
May the Father, who fed his children with manna in the wilderness,
strengthen us in our pilgrimage to the Promised Land. Amen.
May the Son, who gave his flesh for food and his blood for drink,
keep us in eternal life and raise us up on the last day. Amen.
May the Holy Spirit, who leads us into all truth, help us discern
the Lord’s body and empower us to proclaim his death until he comes.
Amen.
And may the blessing of Almighty God, the Father,
the Son, ✠ and the Holy Spirit, come down upon us
all, and remain with us for ever. Amen.
THE ANGELUS
The angel of the Lord brought tidings unto Mary. And she conceived by the Holy Ghost.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of our death.
Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it unto me according to thy word.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of our death.
And the Word was made flesh. And dwelt amongst us.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of our death.
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
We beseech thee, O Lord, pour thy grace into our hearts,
that as we have known the Incarnation of thy Son Jesus Christ by the message of an angel, so by his Cross and Passion
we may be brought unto the glory of his Resurrection;
through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
