Associazione Missionaria Internazionale. International Missionary Association

Transcription

1 Associazione Missionaria Internazionale International Missionary Association DIVINE READING Mk 1, , KOCHI Song Parisudhathmave neeyezhunnalli Varaname ente hrudayathil Dhivya dhanangal chinthiyennullil Daivasneham niraykkane Swargavathil thurannu bhoomiyil Nirgalikkum prakasame. Andhakara virippu mattidum Chandhamerunna deepame Kezhumathmavil Asha veesunna Mohana divya ganame Salms Ant. 1:Your word is a lamp for my steps, Lord. Alleluia Your word is a lamp for my steps, And a light for my path. I have sworn and have made up my mind To obey my decrees. Lord, I am deeply afflicted: By your word give me life. Accept, Lord, the homage of my lips And teach me your decrees. Though I carry my my life in my hands, I remember your law. Though the wicked try to ensnare me, I do not stray from your precepts Your will is my heritage forever, The joy of my heart. I set myself to carryout your will 1

2 In fullness, forever Ant. 2: O Lord, you will show me the fullness of joy in your presence. Alleluia Karthavennum ente idayan Kuravillonnumenikkivide Avante bhavanathil njanennum vazhum Avanodothu njan nadanneedum. Samrudhamaya pulthakidikalil Nadhanenne meykkum(2) Nithya nirmala neeruravayinkal Avidunnenne anayikkum. Nathanenne balappedutheedum Avidunnenne nayicheedum(2) Maranathin thanutha thazvarayilum Bheethiyillenikkorunalum. ( Kar ) Ant. 3: Let every creature, in heaven and on earth, bend the knee at the name of Jesus. Alleluia. Though he was in the form of God Jesus did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped. He emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, Being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled himself and became obedient unto death Even death on a cross. Therefor God has highly exalted him And bestowed on him the name which is above every name. Hat at the name of Jesus every knee should bow In heaven and on earth and under the earth. And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, To the glory of God the father. Proclamation of the Gospel The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: "Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. A voice of one crying out in the desert: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.'" John (the) Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. People of the whole Judean countryside and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were going out to him 2

3 and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. John was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He fed on locusts and wild honey. And this is what he proclaimed: "One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the holy Spirit." It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." At once the Spirit drove him out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him. 3

4 JESUS IS QUEING UP WITH SINNERS The Baptism of Christ, Mark is starting with his Gospel, is an image of his death and resurrection. So Jesus is depicted naked or with a perizoma. His body does not show signs of violence, is bright, as a sign for resurrection. Still the position of arms and hands, their rigidity, the closed eyes reveal death. The forehead is not crown with thorns, but with the halo. Baptism is Jesus personal Pentecost. From this fullness of the Holy Spirit in him derives the power of baptism. The water, an element we cannot trust into, a liquid tomb (the dead man and woman floating in it) becomes the instrument of a new life in Jesus s blood. Jesus merged himself in the sin of every person who runs for repentance and in the sins of each one of us from the beginning till the end of humankind. The two broken mountains show the fracture, the abyss between God and the world immersed in the abyss of sin. Christ filled this abyss, this fracture between God and man through his incarnation. His solidarity makes God always present to mankind through his person. In the Gospel we see the great humility of John the Baptist. I need to be baptized and you come to me? (Mt 3,14) He has to increase and I have to decrease (Jn 3,30). The picture shows him without a safe stand: only Jesus is his security, his stronghold. Without him he falls down. This is the image of the person who acknowledges that his/her personal identity, vocation and mission is based upon the personal relationship with Christ. Christ merges into the waters to make them holy, so that we may be baptized. Heaven descends on earth. The place of Jesus baptism in very low: 480 meters under the sea level. This geographical imput also gives us an idea of the descent of Christ from Heaven, but also on the earth. He empties himself totally. His death is already started. He ques up with sinners who proclaim their sins in order to be forgiven. Humility and solidarity. He merged into the bottom of our humanity. Gave us his life so that we could take his: this is the most powerful image of a God nobody never saw. Now he shows his face. He loves us and wishes to be united with us. Since we cannot go up to him, he come down to us. This is the mad, excessive exaggerated love of God. John the Baptist announces God and his Messiah as a strong, powerful judge. Jesus comes as a God who lives solidarity with us at the point of becoming weak. His is the power of a love that puts down his robe and makes himself a servant, carrying all the weight of the world on his shoulders. The very meeting point with Him is where we think God should be absent: our negative aspects, ours and his weakness. He is power created us. His powerlessness saved us. 4

5 God proclaims Jesus his Son in this moment of his humiliation. The Holy Spirit is the personal love between the Father and the Son. He comes down to Jesus to express this love: he is the beloved in whom the Father finds all his delight. We go through Divine Reading passages Reading/listening and Understanding the Word What this text tells, what its meaning? What is touching me more? What is it difficult for me to understand? Do I really accept that God is God and his thoughts are different from mine? Do I allow God to be God, the Other One or I want to impose Him my ideas? Meditation What does this Word tells me TODAY for my life as it is? Do I really believe the Word comes to meet me in my situation as a person, a family/group, a people, a church? What does Jesus attitude inspires to me? What about John s attitude? Oration I talk not with myself, but with the Father, or Jesus, or the Holy Spirit. A dialogue heart to heart. What do you want me to understand? What do you want to give me? What do you expect me to be, to do? My prayer may be praise, thanksgiving, request of forgiveness, help; intercession (relatives friends, AMI, the Church, the world ) Contemplation I look at the picture or I picture the fact in my mind. I become Jesus and enter in his mind, heart, feelings I become John and I enter in his mind, heart, feelings I become somebody of the crowd of sinners and I enter in his mind, heart, feelings I become the man/woman floating in the water where Jesus descends into 5

6 I allow the Father, the Spirit, Jesus look at me, I let his light enlighten me (the perspective of the icon is from God point of view). I allow myself to plunge deeply in an attitude of acceptance, receiving, surrender, self giving, promptness: here I am Consolation What is giving me in this text joy, security, exultance? I allow these feelings fill myself and throw away worries, anxieties, fear, rebellion Discernment. Decision. Evangelical action What have I to work on in myself? I choose a concrete, small, possible to verify gesture or attitude My relationship with God. My relationship with my brethren. My relationship with myself, my disappointments, failures, sin. Communitarian discernment and reading of history How to live together and witness to this madness of God s love? Which is our attitude towards our heavenly Father s mercy? Which is our attitude towards ours and others limitations? Which importance we give in our choices to the persons problems, difficulties which give us trouble or shame? How to imitate the Father s and Jesus attitude of welcoming? Silent recollection time Sharing On any passage of my prayer Magnificat ant: Master, what is the greatest commandment in the law? Jesus said to him, you must love the Lord your God with all your heart. Alleluia. My soul glorifies the Lord, My spirit rejoices in the God my saviour. 6

7 He looks on his servant in her lowliness, Hence forth all ages will call me blessed. The almighty works marvels for me Holy his name. His mercy is from age to age, On those who fear him. He puts forth his arm in strength And scatters the proud hearted. He casts the mighty from their thrones And raises the lowly. He fills the starving with good things, and sends the rich away empty. He protects Israel his servant Remembering his mercy. The mercy promised to our fathers To Abraham and his sons forever Liturgical prayers followed by personal prayers God our Father leads us forward with great love towards the joyful day when we enter his rest All. Our hope is in you Lord God. - Father, we pray for Benedict, our pope, and N.., our bishops, guide them and bless in their work/ R - Help the sick to share their sufferings with Christ, may they know in him the fullness of life and love/r - Lord, you found nowhere to lay your head Make us aware of the needs of the homeless today. - Bless those who work on the land: may we receive the fruits of the earth with thankfulness/r - Father, have mercy on those who have died in peace of Christ: receive them into your home you have prepared for them/r Our Father Swargathil vazhum Njangal than thatha Nin namam poojithamayidenam Varanam nin rajyam swargathileppol Ninnullam parilumayidenam. Annannuvendunnoraharaminnum Njangalkku nalkumarayidenam Anyarthan dhroham Njangal kshamikkumpol Njangal than dhrohavum nee kshamikka Papapparekshyil ulppeduthathe Thinmayil ninnu nee kathidenam 7

8 Concluding prayers of Vespers Lord God, deepen our faith, Strengthen our hope, Enkindle our love: And so that we may obtain what you promise Make us love what you command. (e make our prayer) through our Lord. Song Nanni daivame, Nanni daivame Nithyavum nithyavum nanni daivame. Anghu thanna dhanathinai nanniyekidam Anghu thanna snehathinai nanniyekidam Nanmaroopane nalla daivame 8