FORMATION
FORMATION 2000
THEME NO. 2
“Embracing the jubilee
tradition”
1. Opening Prayer
(To be introduced by the leader then
prayed by all present.)
Leader:
My brothers in Christ, gathered here together as sons of God and in the name
of the Church, let us prepare our minds and hearts and pray to the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ for the renewal of the Church and the salvation of the world.
All:
God of compassion, you created the world out of love. In your tenderness you
sent your Son in the fullness of time to redeem it. We praise you for your mercy and give
you thanks for our new life through the death and resurrection of your Son. Be with us in
this year of Great Jubilee, the anniversary of the birth of your Son, our Redeemer.
May your kingdom here among us
continue to grow through your Spirit, bringing renewal to your Church.
May we be instruments of peace,
justice and reconciliation, within the Church, with others and with all of creation.
May we walk with Mary, who gave birth
to your Son, who is the mother of the Church and model for all disciples. We ask this
through your Son, Jesus who is with us yesterday, today, and forever. Amen.
2. The Focus
(Read by the discussion leader or
member nominated by him.)
The Third Millennium is:
A time to embrace the Jubilee Tradition.
In the Year 2000 itself, we will not simply
be celebrating a great anniversary. We will also, at the invitation of Pope John Paul II,
be celebrating a Year of Great Jubilee. This greatest of jubilees is perceived as part of
a long tradition of jubilees beginning in the history of God's people described in the Old
Testament. It is a year like the one described in Leviticus 25:10, "You shall
hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants;
it shall be a jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to his property and each of
you shall return to his family." In such years equality was to be recovered,
freedom, property and land were to be restored to the dispossessed, and so the poor were
to be protected and cared for.
For this new jubilee Pope John Paul calls
us to the same goals as did the prophets. He suggests, for example, that in the spirit of
the Book of Leviticus, "Christians will have to raise their voice on behalf of
all the poor of the world, proposing the Jubilee as an appropriate time to give thought,
among other things, to reducing substantially, if not cancelling outright, the
international debt which seriously threatens the future of many nations" (#51
Tertio Millennio Adveniente).
Adapted
from The Coming of the Third Millennium, Catholic Bishops of Australia.
This reading is followed by five minutes
of silent reflection on the following:
• In what way does
the ancient Jewish tradition of jubilee have relevance for we who live in a modern,
technological world?
3. The Word
(The Word of God gives us our context
for reflection and action. This read by one member.)
A reading from the prophet Isaiah.
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to
bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the
prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour, and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn; to provide for those who mourn in Zion-- to give them a garland
instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of
a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to
display his glory. They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former
devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.
For I the Lord love justice, I hate robbery
and wrongdoing; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an
everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants shall be known among the nations, and
their offspring among the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge that they are a
people whom the Lord has blessed.
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my
whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a
garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its
shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause
righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations. Isaiah 61: 1-4; 8-11
For a few minutes, all silently
reflect on these words of the prophet which speak of the spirit of jubilee, 'the year of
the Lord's favour' - "What are the characteristics of jubilee?"
4. The Sharing
During this time (10 minutes) members
share insights gained from reflection on the Focus and the Word of God.
5. The Action
i Members offer
suggestions regarding actions which could be taken in the month ahead to incorporate the
Jubilee tradition into the work of the Knights of the Southern Cross.
ii As a group, decide on one or
two actions which can be taken by all in the month ahead.
6. Closing Prayer
Prayed by all members.
Blessed are you, all holy God, creator of
the universe; by the gift of the Spirit you made visible our redemption in the mystery of
the incarnation of Christ, your Son, and have given us a share in his mission as prophet,
priest and king.
As we celebrate the great Jubilee, confirm
and strengthen our faith and the faith of all of all Christians. Sustain our hope of
eternal life, and rekindle our charity in active service to our brothers and sisters.
Glory and praise to you, O God of our
salvation, through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the
Holy Spirit, one God, for ever. Amen.
