FORMATION
FORMATION 2000
THEME NO. 3
“Proclamation”
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 proclaim a "Year of the Lord's
Favour".
The Jubilee year stands in the tradition of
the 'year of the Lord's favour' (Isaiah 61:2) which Jesus proclaimed as happening in his
life, when he spoke in the synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4: 16-21). Just as all jubilees of
Old Testament times looked forward to this fulfilment of God's promise in Jesus, so all
Church holy years or years of jubilee since then have looked back to the Incarnation. They
also celebrate the whole mystery of Christ's life, death and resurrection. So it is that
Pope John Paul can speak of this jubilee year as demonstrating that "the Church
rejoices in salvation. She invites everyone to rejoice, and she tries to create conditions
to ensure that the power of salvation may be shared by all." (#16 Tertio
Millennio Adveniente). In practice this will mean many things. We must always bear in mind
that a Jubilee is a time of rejoicing and thanksgiving for the graciousness of God. In
this case we will give thanks for the gift of Jesus Christ and for two thousand years of
Christian history.
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
• What is necessary
for the Church to create the conditions which ensure that the Good News of salvation is
heard and 'shared by all'?
3. The Word
(The Word of God gives us our context
for reflection and action. This read by one member.)
A reading from the Gospel of Luke.
When he came to Nazareth, where he had been
brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to
read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and
found the place where it was written:
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim
release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour."
And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back
to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then
he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your
hearing." Luke 4: 16-21
For a few minutes, all silently
reflect on these words of Jesus and on the signs of a 'year of favour'. What do they mean
for us?
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 How can the work of the
Knights of the Southern Cross proclaim the Good News of salvation for the Jubilee Year?.
ii As a group, decide on a
direction 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.
