Day 4: Companions in Poverty

Day 4 Companions in Poverty

OPENING HYMN

Sa Diyos Lamang Mapapanatag (Danny Isidro, SJ – Nemy Que, SJ) or
Tanging Yaman (Manoling Francisco, SJ)

INTRODUCTION TO THE CELEBRATION

P. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
A. Amen.

If the presider is a priest or deacon:
P. The Lord be with you.
A. And also with you.

Ignatius and his companions willingly decided to embrace poverty, in desiring to follow Christ faithfully and freely, after the counsel of his holy Gospel. As we honor their blessed memory, we ask for the grace to learn and imitate their holy example.

A moment of silence is observed.

PRAYER OF PRAISE

P. Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you."
A. As for the saints in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight. Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; their libations of blood I will not pour out or take their names upon my lips.
P. The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; yes, I have a goodly heritage.
A. I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.
I keep the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
P. Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also dwells secure. For you do not give me up to Sheol, or let your godly one see the Pit.
A. You show me the path of life; in your presence, there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures for evermore. (Psalm 16)

P. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
A. As it was in the beginning is now and will be for ever. Amen.

GRACE OF THE DAY
We beg for the grace always to rely, not on ourselves but on God’s grace and gracious providence.

SCRIPTURE READING

From the second letter of Paul to the Corinthians 6, 1-10

Having nothing yet possessing all things.

Working together, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says: "In an acceptable time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you." Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. We cause no one to stumble in anything, in order that no fault may be found with our ministry; on the contrary, in everything we commend ourselves as ministers of God, through much endurance, in afflictions, hardships, constraints, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, vigils, fasts; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, in a holy spirit, in unfeigned love, in truthful speech, in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness at the right and at the left; through glory and dishonor, insult and praise. We are treated as deceivers and yet are truthful; as unrecognized and yet acknowledged; as dying and behold we live; as chastised and yet not put to death; as sorrowful yet always rejoicing; as poor yet enriching many; as having nothing and yet possessing all things.

MEDITATION SONG

Ang Mabuhay sa Pag-ibig (Bienvenida Tabuena – Eddie Hontiveros, SJ) or
How Lovely is Your Dwelling Place (Arnel Aquino, SJ) or Taste and See (Norman Agatep)
The meditation song may be preceded or replaced by a homily or sharing, or a period of silent prayer.

REFLECTION

In order to imitate and be in reality more like Christ our Lord, I desire and choose poverty with Christ poor, rather than riches; insults with Christ loaded with them, rather than honours; I desire to be accounted as worthless and a fool for Christ rather than to be esteemed as wise and prudent in this world. Christ was treated so before me.
(Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Spiritual Exercises, 167)

DAILY PRAYER

Please refer to First Day.

INTERCESSIONS

The first companions sought to imitate the poverty of Christ that enabled him to rely totally on the Father’s care, to submit himself fully to the Father’s will, and by his life and death and rising to new life, to give full glory to the Father. Let us pray to the Father of Jesus, confident that he will give us all that we ask in His Name:

R. Father, teach us to rely on you.

1. For our Holy Father, N., in union with the sacred college of bishops, and all those in ministries of leadership and authority among the people of Christ. That they may not be taken over by pride, vanity or ambition, but exercise their duties with sincerity in a spirit of humble service. Let us pray to the Lord.
2. For our nation. That those in positions of greater material affluence or political power may reach out to aid the poor towards attaining a dignified living with sincerity, consistency and determination. Let us pray to the Lord.
3. For our least Society. That we may be faithful to our vows of evangelical poverty for the fruitfulness of the apostolate, for our own sanctification, and to give witness and glory to God our Lord. Let us pray to the Lord.
4. For the poor. That Christ who humbled himself to share in their distress may lift them up: by his grace, their own persevering efforts and the aid of all followers of Christ. Let us pray to the Lord.
5. For all of us gathered here. That we may learn, always to depend on God, whether in abundance or in poverty. Let us pray to the Lord.

Our Father…

CLOSING PRAYER

God our Father, you sustain us in love and guard us as the apple of your eye. Make us always rely in your goodness and teach us to desire only you, after the example of your servants Ignatius, Francis and Peter who found blessedness in embracing hardships and lowliness for the sake of following Christ.

We ask this in the Name of Jesus the Lord.

A. Amen.


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