+ Wednesday Holy Week – Reconciliation Service here now – and Easter plans

Penitential Service – here in this blog post

What is this liturgy?

Welcome – online – but with a spirit of being together – as part of our Lenten preparation for Easter. Welcome also to people of other faiths and backgrounds.

In place of what would have been our communal gathering for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, this aims to be a simple and sincere, self-led but communal expression of our dependence on God’s merciful love. It is an extended form of the penitential rite that we celebrate at the start of each Mass.

Our Church Teaching

At that starting point of each Mass, we give thanks as we open our lives again to God’s mercy – and we receive forgiveness for the ordinary sins of daily life. That’s the teaching of our Catholic Christian faith. For the ‘unloading’ and forgiveness of serious sin, our Church teaching is that we would approach the one to one Sacrament of Reconciliation at least yearly. And indeed, our Church teaching is one of encouragement that we make use of the Sacrament periodically to experience the healing gift of individual confession and absolution.

We begin

Let’s give thanks for the presence of each other here online – and take a moment to send out a spiritual embrace to each other person praying this liturgy.

In the name of the Father – and of the Son – and of the Holy Sprit – AMEN

Much peace to us all – in the presence of God, with us, in us, through us.

Opening Prayer

God of our lives – we come here to acknowledge that we are your people – part of your beloved creation. We thank you for the gift of life now – and for the ‘Easter-made’ hope of real life forever.

Draw us close to you our God, and close to each other, as we acknowledge our united dependence on your mercy – and as we welcome renewal into the areas of our sin and failing.

We pray also for the world, in this health crisis time of great challenge, of fear and of sadness for many. May we know that you have indeed gone before us Lord God and that you carry this cross with us.  As we give thanks for your goodness and care shown through so many people at this time – we also pray healing and united conversion – into the scandals of greed and poverty – abuse and oppression – that remain part of the tapestry of earthly life.

We make our prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world, our lasting and true peace,     AMEN.

First reading

A Reading from the letter to the Colossians    (3:12-17)

As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and advise one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

The word of the Lord ..

Thanks be to God

Gospel Acclamation

Glory to you, O Word of God, Lord Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ, you are the faithful witness, firstborn from the dead;

You have loved us and washed away our sins in your blood.

Glory to you, O Word of God, Lord Jesus Christ

Gospel

A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to John  (8:2-11)

Early in the morning Jesus came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, they said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, sir.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”

The Gospel of the Lord ..

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ

HOMILY

Press the play button

Examination of Conscience

As the end of the Homily recording said, here’s a reflection on six gifts that are under the umbrella of love as highlighted in the reading from the letter to the Colossians used above in this penitential liturgy.

Is there one in particular that you want to ask God to help you focus on? Let’s make this a hope-filled part of our examination of conscience

• The gift of COMPASSION – people who choose this gift open themselves to choosing to share in some way in the pain or struggle of another. Such people don’t jump to quick and comfortable answers, but help us to know that we are companioned – that our stories and lives can be welcomed – can be at home – can be embraced
• The gift of GENTLENESS – people who choose this gift open themselves to the common language of the heart. They recognise in the other -whether child or adult – group or community – lives that can be blessed more by tenderness than by domination
• The gift of HUMILITY – people who choose this gift open themselves to recognising both the strength and the limit of their gifts. They offer their energies to the full but do not hesitate to acknowledge their need to know or discover more. They welcome the wisdom that is beyond them with appreciation
• The gift of KINDNESS – people who choose this gift open themselves to making choices that are like unexpected gifts to other people or groups. They consider the story of the other and freely think of what will bring joy. The person of true kindness appreciates themselves enough not to always expect or need the same in return
• The gift of PATIENCE – people who choose this gift open themselves to recognising that they themselves – other people – life – and life’s experiences – are always on a journey of becoming. These people don’t have to do or have it all now – but rather, value the steps along the way. They appreciate what has been – and look forward with hope – but live now with purpose and peace
• The gift of FORGIVENESS – people who choose this gift open themselves to what some see as unimaginable. They recognise that the business of hurt and sin is not only about a new chance given to the one forgiven – which may or may not be taken up. But they recognise that it is about the new freedom possible for the one who has been hurt – the forgiver – who gives justice and possibility over to God and lives again to the full

Let’s pray one of the common prayers we know from Mass

The Confiteor

I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, 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, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.

… and this further prayer together

Lord Jesus, you resisted the temptations of the devil. You upheld the way of the Father against every challenge. You gave your whole being, in trust and courage, to what mattered most, even to death. And your death brought life to the world.

And so

LORD, MY GOD, WITH THE SUPPORT OF THOSE AROUND ME – HERE ONLINE, I ACKNOWLEDGE WITH SORROW THE WAYS I HAVE LIVED LESS THAN YOUR VISION FOR MY LIFE

REACH INTO MY HEART AND STRENGTHEN MY CONVICTION THAT YOUR GRACE AND LOVE ARE WITH ME ALWAYS. HELP ME NEVER TO UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF YOUR PRESENCE FOR MY LIFE

And now this prayer together for forgiveness

God the Father of mercy and peace, you sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sin. We have opened our hearts to you this night and allowed you to draw us close to your heart. We thank you and honour you for your deep and loving acceptance of us… for your desire to walk with us… for your invitation for us to walk forward in your strength. Your Son, Jesus the Christ, is our inspiration and guide; the one who resisted the temptations of the devil; who allowed Peter to overcome his fear; who spoke with kindness of a fig tree to show your patience with us; who showed us ourselves in the older and younger brother; who did not condemn the woman but called her to a new way. And so in humble sorrow, in new awareness and new resolve, we joyfully turn to you to seek your love.

MAY ALMIGHTY GOD HAVE MERCY ON US, FORGIVE US OUR SIN AND BRING US TO EVERLASTING LIFE   +  AMEN

Final Thanksgiving

Why don’t you go right now and do something with thanks to God; have a quality coffee, share a glass of wine, smell a flower – and resolve to do some actions this day;  write someone a message of goodness, share a gesture of unity, pray a prayer of outreach, do something healing or, or, or ..

Let us go in peace – glorifying the Lord by our lives.

Thanks be to God

Easter Ceremonies from Our Lady of the Way Parish – Live Streaming on YouTube

The link to tune in will be shared in the Parish Blog on Thursday

We will be live streaming from Our Lady of the Way over the days of the Easter Triduum (the three days from Holy Thursday on).  There have been lots of live streamed options around – and until now I have been preparing another option consisting of voice recordings with images and text. I’ve been regularly consulting a variety of people about our options. I hope the experience has been life-giving of having had a liturgy ‘in your hands’ that’s invited you to share in the leadership of – but given some voice recorded inputs as part of it too.

Depending on how long this shutdown of churches continues, we may continue some of that ‘in your hands’ version of liturgy. For the Easter ceremonies, we will now add some live streaming. I have created a parish Youtube channel (correction below – now on Facebook) where you can easily access the videos – and/or where you can easily look back at them later as well at a time to suit you.

Due to a Youtube issue we are live-streaming on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/olowparishemuplains/  

***OR just google – Facebook Emu Plains Parish – and you’ll easily find it

DETAILS WILL KEEP BEING UPDATED here in our Parish Blog space – 

Holy Thursday – 7.30pm – Mass of the Lord’s Supper

Good Friday – 3.00pm – The Passion of the Lord

Holy Saturday – 7.30pm – The Easter Vigil Mass

Then – a DRIVE-THROUGH on Easter Sunday Morning …. 

On Sunday morning you’ll still be able to access the Easter Mass as celebrated live the previous evening at Our Lady of the Way – (and we’ll provide a live link to Easter morning Mass with Bishop Vincent) – AND

We will have a ‘Drive-Through’ in the church driveway 9.30am to 10.30am to pick up some new Easter Holy Water – with the Easter Blessed Sacrament displayed for your own special moment of Adoration – and a prayer of Easter blessing to be offered by Fr Paul with every person or car of people who comes through

Bring your own water bottle to receive the newly blessed Easter Holy Water – OR we will have a hundred small bottles of new Easter Water to supplement your bottles. They will be prepared and distributed with very careful hygiene sensitivities.

Fun to finish 

Here’s something just for fun – Watch out for the scams during this time of isolation – Here’s a senior watching  a TV Mass and the grandchild got a shrewd idea for a dress-up !!!

With friendship in God’s mission,

fr Paul