‘Let us come before the Lord giving thanks.’
Ordinary time in the Church Liturgical year doesn’t mean that life is dull and unexciting! The Word of God is alive and active and God is always saying something new to us giving us life, joy, hope and energy, even when we think times are bad. God loves us unconditionally.
As the Church begins Ordinary time, the faithful are urged today, ‘Let us come before the Lord giving thanks.’
For what can I give thanks today? I can thank God for family and people who love me, friends, food to eat, clean water, frontline workers and lots more. One way of saying thanks to God is to pray.
The Word of God proclaimed at Mass today (Hebrews 1:1-6, Mk 1:14-20) prompts God’s people to be thankful. For example we are thankful that God spoke in the past to our ancestors through the prophets. When God spoke to the prophets, God wanted them to tell the people how much he loved them and asked them to love their neighbour and treat everyone with kindness.
In later times and continuing today God speaks to us through his Son Jesus. God appointed Jesus to inherit everything. God sent Jesus to show God’s love, compassion, forgiveness and generosity. God is love.
We are thankful that Jesus chose Simon, Andrew, James and John as apostles to help him in his mission. These men left their jobs as fishermen, listened to Jesus and followed him. Jesus taught them how to proclaim the Good News, to teach the people about God’s love, to heal people and forgive sins.
Today God’s people are thankful that Jesus chose them as disciples to continue his mission of love and care. The Holy Spirit helps the disciples to pray, to love God and our neighbour.
Pope Francis always shows a spirit of gratitude.
The Grow in Love Religious Education programme for Catholic primary schools tells all about God and God’s love. It also tells about such prophets as Jeremiah and Isaiah. Yesterday, the Church celebrated the Baptism of the Lord. After Jesus was baptised he began the work that God sent him to do. You can read all about Jesus in the various levels of Grow in Love. At Mass we can hear many of the Bible stories from Grow in Love.
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INVITATION
TO PRAY (from Grow in Love/I nGrá Dé)
PRAYER TO GUARDIAN ANGEL
Angel sent by God to guide me,
Be my light and walk beside me;
Be my guardian and protect me;
On the paths of life direct me.
PAIDIR CHUIG AN AINGEAL COIMHDEACHTA
A Aingil dhil Dé, cuir mé faoi do smacht,
Mar d’ordaigh Mac grámhar Dé ina
reacht.
Seas le mo thaobh gach am den lá.
Soilsigh is cosain is seol mé slán.
Áiméan.
TO READ (from Grow in Love/I nGrá Dé or the Bible)
Mk 1: 14-20
Sr Anne Neylon