Sunday, June 25, 2006

Day 7: Companions, Grace in Persecution

Day 7 Companions, Grace in Persecution

OPENING HYMN

Only This I Want (Dan Schutte) or Sino’ng Makapaghihiwalay (Sr. Anunciata, SPC)

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 saw a vision of windows closed to them in Rome. In fact, the first companions underwent many hardships, even persecution, from the very beginnings of our Society. Yet they went on, sustained by the Lord’s assurance, “I will be propitious to you in Rome” and by the reassuring company of one another.

A moment of silence is observed.

PRAYER OF PRAISE

P. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and behold the face of God?
A. My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me continually,
"Where is your God?"
P. Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.
A. Deep calls to deep at the thunder of thy cataracts;
all thy waves and thy billows have gone over me.
P. By day the LORD commands his steadfast love; and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.
A. Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God. (cf. Psalm 42)

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 to imitate Christ who bore our sufferings and carried our infirmities, by his faith and perseverance, to eternal glory.

SCRIPTURE READING

From the second letter of Paul to the Corinthians 4, 5-15

Afflicted for the glory of God.


What we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us.

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in our bodies the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For while we live we are always being given up to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.

Since we have the same spirit of faith as he had who wrote, "I believed, and so I spoke," we too believe, and so we speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

MEDITATION SONG

Earthen Vessels (John Foley, SJ) or Kung ‘Yong Nanaisin (Manoling Francisco, SJ)
The meditation song may be preceded or replaced by a homily or sharing, or a period of silent prayer.

REFLECTION

When he (Ignatius, the pilgrim) returned to Rome, he kept himself busy helping souls, and while still living at the vineyard he gave the Spiritual Exercises to several individuals at one and the same time. One of these lived near Santa Maria Maggiore, and another near Ponte Sisto.

Then the persecutions began. Miguel started trouble by speaking ill of the pilgrim and had him summoned before the governor. The pilgrim first showed the governor one of the letters in which he enthusiastically praised him; the governor then interrogated Miguel and outcome was that he was banished from Rome.

Then Mudarra and Barreda began their persecution, alleging that the pilgrim and his companions were fugitives from Spain, from Paris, and from Venice. In the end, both of them confessed in the governor’s presence and that of the legate, who was then in Rome, that they had nothing bad to say about them, nor about their lifestyle, nor about their teaching. (Saint Ignatius of Loyola, A Pilgrim’s Journey: The Autobiography of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. Joseph N. Tylenda, SJ, trans. Delaware: Michael Glacier, Inc., 1985. no. 98)

DAILY PRAYER

Please refer to First Day.

INTERCESSIONS

Ignatius and his companions persevered in following Christ in the midst of difficulties and persecution. Their friendship and union with and in the Lord gave them strength in trial and patience to endure. Let us pray to the Father of Jesus, confident that he will give us all that we ask in His Name:

R. Lord, strengthen us in your love.

1. For our Holy Father, N. the bishops, the clergy and all God’s holy people. That we may be strong and courageous in proclaiming the Gospel, preaching and living its radical demands. Let us pray to the Lord.
2. For our government leaders and all public servants. That they may be firm in their resolve to be honest and righteous and keen to resist the prevailing culture of corruption and injustice in public office. Let us pray to the Lord.
3. For our Society. That we may continue to battle, with apostolic daring, the evils that threaten our present time and work bravely under the standard of Christ the King. Let us pray to the Lord.
4. For Jesuits working in the service of justice. That they may be supported in the promotion and defense of truth, integrity and the dignity of persons, and not be daunted by oppressive worldly powers. Let us pray to the Lord.
5. For all of us gathered here. That in the many problems confronting each one and those that challenge us as a community, we may find our strength in each other and our certain hope in the love of the Lord. Let us pray to the Lord.

Our Father…

CLOSING PRAYER

God our Father, in your arms we are secure; in your embrace we need not fear. Teach us to trust like Ignatius, Francis and Peter, in you and in one another, and to persevere with strength and joy even in the midst of trial and difficulties.

We ask this in the Name of Jesus the Lord.

A. Amen.




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