Church of the Resurrection Ministry Retreat February 2, 2013

Transcription

1 Church of the Resurrection Ministry Retreat February 2, 2013 Feast of the Presentation

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3 Hymn

4 Ant. 1 Simeon was a holy and devout man who looked for the redemption of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was with him. Psalm 63:2-9 O God, you are my God, for you I long; * for you my soul is thirsting. My body pines for you * like a dry, weary land without water. So I gaze on you in the sanctuary * to see your strength and your glory. For your love is better than life, * my lips will speak your praise. So I will bless you all my life, * in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul shall be filled as with a banquet, * my mouth shall praise you with joy. On my bed I remember you. * On you I muse through the night for you have been my help; * in the shadow of your wings I rejoice. My soul clings to you; your right hand holds me fast

5 Glory to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, * and will be for ever. Amen. Ant. Simeon was a holy and devout man who looked for the redemption of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was with him. Ant 2. Simeon took the child in his arms and gave thanks to God. Canticle: Daniel 3:57-88, 56 Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord. * Praise and exalt him above all forever. Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord. * You heavens, bless the Lord. All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord. * All you hosts of the Lord, bless the Lord. Sun and moon, bless the Lord. * Stars of heaven, bless the Lord. Every shower and dew, bless the Lord. * All you winds, bless the Lord. Fire and heat, bless the Lord. * Cold and chill, bless the Lord. Dew and rain, bless the Lord. * Frost and chill, bless the Lord. Ice and snow, bless the Lord. * Nights and days, bless the Lord. Light and darkness, bless the Lord. * Lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord.

6 Let the earth bless the Lord. * Praise and exalt him above all forever. Mountains and hills, bless the Lord. * Everything growing for the earth, bless the Lord. You springs, bless the Lord. * Seas and rivers, bless the Lord. You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord. * All you birds of the air, bless the Lord. All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord. * You sons of men, bless the Lord. O Israel, bless the Lord. * Praise and exalt him above all forever. Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord. * Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord. Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord. * Holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord. Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael, bless the Lord. * Praise and exalt him above all forever. Let us bless the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. * Let us praise and exalt him above all forever. Blessed are you, Lord, in the firmament of heaven. * Praiseworthy and glorious and exalted above all forever. Ant. Simeon took the child in his arms and gave thanks to God.

7 Ant. 3 He is a light to reveal you to the nations, and the glory of your people Israel. Psalm 149 Sing a new song to the Lord, * his praise in the assembly of the faithful. Let Israel rejoice in its maker, * let Zion s sons exult in their king. Let them praise his name with dancing * and make music with timbrel and harp. For the Lord takes delight in him people. * He crowns the poor with salvation. Let the faithful rejoice in their glory, * shout for joy and take their rest. Let the praise of God be on their lips * and a two-edged sword in their hand, to deal out vengeance to the nations * and punishment on all the peoples; to bind their kings in chains * and their nobles in fetters of iron; to carry out the sentence pre-ordained; * this honor is for all his faithful. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, * and will be forever. Amen. Ant. He is a light to reveal you to the nations, and the glory of your people Israel.

8 READING Malachi 3:1 Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me; * And suddenly there will come to the temple; The Lord whom you seek And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire. RESPONSORY Worship the Lord in his holy court. - Worship the Lord in his holy court. Bring him your homage and praise, - in his holy court. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. - Worship the Lord in his holy court. CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH Ant. When the parents of Jesus brought him into the temple, Simeon took him in his arms and gave thanks to God. Luke 1:68-79 The Messiah and his forerunner Gospel Canticle (Benedictus)

9 Hymn

10 Ant. When the parents of Jesus brought him into the temple, Simeon took him in his arms and gave thanks to God. INTERCESSIONS Today our Savior was presented in the temple. Let us adore him as we say: Lord, may our eyes see your saving power. Christ Jesus, I obedience to the law, you desired to be presented in the temple, - teach us to offer ourselves to the Father with you in your Church s sacrifice. Jesus, desire of nations, Anna, the prophetess spoke of you to all who were awaiting Israel s redemption, - help us to proclaim you in our words and actions to all who yet yearn for your salvation. Lord Jesus, cornerstone of God s kingdom, you were destined to be a sign that is rejected, -be for those who acknowledge you the source of rising to new life.

11 THE LORD S PRAYER 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. CONCLUDING PRAYER Almighty ever-living God, we humbly implore your majesty that, just as you Only Begotten Son was presented on this day in the Temple in the substance of our flesh, so, by your grace, we may be presented to you with minds made pure. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, you Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. DISMISSAL May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

12 Session One It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view. The Kingdom of God is not only beyond our efforts, It is even beyond our vision. Take 15 minutes to reflect on and write on your vision of the kingdom of God. Who, what, where, why May want to look at the Beatitude Matthew 5:3-12

13 Session Two We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction Of the magnificent enterprise that is God s work Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying that the Kingdom always lies beyond us. No statement says all that could be said No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession brings perfection. No pastoral visit brings wholeness. No program accomplishes the Church mission. No set of goals and objectives includes everything. Parables: Use the space below for making notes as you discuss and reflect

14 GROUP A As a group, read Matthew 13:1-23. Discuss the parable using the questions below and prepare to share your insights with the other group. 1. What four types of soil does Jesus mention? What characterizes each? What happens to the seed in each kind of soil? 2. What does Jesus explanation of the parable (vv18-23) reveal about the seed? About the various soils? The fruit? The farmer? 3. What do parables accomplish that simple and direct speech lacks? 4. How does Jesus challenge in verse 9 help explain verses 11-12? How does faith open you up to more and more spiritual insight? 5. How does the quotation from Isaiah (vv 14-15) explain the difficulty of understanding parables (v 13)? 6. In verses 16-17, Jesus gives a new Beatitude. What have these disciples seen and heard that the prophets longed to see and hear? Are we included in this blessing? Why do you think so?

15 GROUP B As a group, read Matthew 13: Discuss the parable using the questions below and prepare to share your insights with the other group. 1. In the parable of the weeds (vv and vv 36-43), who is the sower? What does the wheat represent? The weeds? The enemy? The harvest? 2. How does this parable relate to 7:15-20? 3. Why does this parable so puzzle the disciples? Why is patience and tolerance toward unbelievers difficult for them (and for us)? 4. What does this passage teach about church purity? Divine patience? Human accountability? 5. In the parable of the mustard seed and yeast (vv 31-33), what aspects of Jesus ministry seem small? What is the promise if the small seed is sown? 6. How does the kingdom of heaven become evident to others? 7. What does the summary statement and prophecy here (vv 34-35) reveal about the way (and the reason) Jesus used parables?

16 Added Personal Meditation questions on your parable s lessons for you in your life. A B 1. Can you see and hear Jesus at work in today s world? If so, how? 2. Why do so many people misunderstand the Gospel? What deep roots help to prevent a believer from falling away? What gives you roots? 3. What worries can choke your growth in Christ? How can you free your life from these thorns? 4. What crop does Jesus want believers to yield? What can you do to increase your productivity? 1. In what way can over-zealous judgment of the world and its evils harm our mission as Christians? Where is the harvest field God has placed you? 2. Where (in your life or in your parish) have you seen faith like yeast or a mustard seed have a great impact? 3. What accountability are you now feeling for yourself? For others? To God? What are you hearing God call you to do as a result?

17 Session Three This is what we are about: We plant the seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces effects for beyond our capabilities. God s Spokesperson : A Meditation Really reflect on what your ministry is in life. Not just your job, but how you with your talents, and personality and gifts reflect who God is and work to further God s kingdom. Nothing is too nitty-gritty. Choose a word, bible quote or short sentence to express your ministry.

18 Session Four We cannot do everything And there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord s grace to enter and do the rest. We may never see the end results, But that is the difference between the master builder and the worker. We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own. Discussion questions: Do you feel liberated? What are you freed from? What are you freed for? How can you keep the focus?

19 Prayer Reflections on Ministry It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view. The Kingdom of God is not only beyond our efforts, It is even beyond our vision. We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction Of the magnificent enterprise that is God s work. Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying That the Kingdom always lies beyond us. No statement says all that could be said. No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession brings perfection. No pastoral visit brings wholeness. No program accomplishes the Church s mission. No set of goals includes everything. This is what we are about: We plant the seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.

20 We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capabilities. We cannot do everything And there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord s grace to enter and do the rest. We may never see the end results, But that is the difference between the master builder and the worker. We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future no our own. Written by Bishop Ken Utener, deceased Bishop of Saginaw, Michigan, when he was a priest working with Cardinal Dearden, of Detroit, MI. Concluding Ritual and Prayer

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