FORMATION
FORMATION 2000
THEME NO. 6
“Living justly”
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. our heavenly Father, as we begin the new millennium, we ask you to
continue, through us, the work which your Son began; to make you know to all humanity.
Give us the courage to acknowledge your presence in a world where many have turned away
from you.
Enlighten our minds and open our
hearts to embrace all people. Enrich our lives with your love so that we may be your
disciples in bringing peace, reconciliation and justice to our families, our communities
and the world.
Heal the brokenness of your people:
the oppressed, the abandoned, those who are cast out of their own land or rejected by
others. Deepen our understanding of the Eucharist, the sacrament of love and
reconciliation.
May the Spirit, who dwells within each
one of us give us right judgement and show us the way to everlasting peace. We ask this
through Jesus your Son and our brother. Amen.
Prayer written by
Rachael Bongiorno, Catholic Secondary School student, NSW
2. The Focus
(Read by the discussion leader or member
nominated by him.)
The Third Millennium is:
A time of Justice through Action.
We recognise that many Australians in our
cities and in rural Australia are bearing the heavy burden of unemployment and poverty and
we will play our part as a Catholic community in finding ways of alleviating their
suffering. We will participate, to the best of our ability, in Pope John Paul II's own
project to eliminate, or at least reduce substantially, the debt of the Third World in the
Year of Jubilee. The Year of Jubilee is also an occasion to remove from our natural
environment any unnecessary burdens which are sometimes laid upon it by developments
designed to serve the interests of the human community.
From
"The Coming of the Third Millennium" Catholic Bishops of Australia.
… if we recall that Jesus came to
"preach the good news to the poor" (Mk. 11:5, Lk. 7:22), how can we fail to lay
greater emphasis on the Church's preferential option for the poor and the outcast? Indeed,
it has to be said that a commitment to justice and peace in a world like ours, marked by
so many conflicts and intolerable social and economic inequalities, is a necessary
condition for the preparation and celebration of the Jubilee. Thus, in the spirit of the
Book of Leviticus (25:8-12), 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.
From
"Tertio Millennio Adveniente" John Paul II # 51
These readings are followed by five
minutes of silent reflection on the following:
• Catholic social
action has always taken seriously the call to a 'preferential option for the poor and the
outcast'. But is this reflected in our Church society today? What are the implications for
us in these words of the Pope and the Bishops?
3. The Word
– Mark 12: 41–44
(The Word of God gives us our context
for reflection and action. This read by one member.)
A reading from the Gospel of Mark
He sat down opposite the treasury, and
watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums.
A poor widow came and put in two small
copper coins, which are worth a penny.
Then he called his disciples and said to
them, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are
contributing to the treasury.
For all of them have contributed out of
their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to
live on."
For a few minutes, all silently reflect
on these words of Jesus and on what they place before us.
4. The Sharing
(During this time (10 minutes) members
share insights gained from reflection on the Focus and the Word of God.)
Consider particularly the following:
• The power of the
small or ordinary action.
• Issues of justice
also arise in relation to our use of natural creation.
• The call to
recognise inequality and to work against it.
5. The Action
How willing are we, the Knights of the
Southern Cross, to be involved with issues like the ones mentioned in this reflection?
What steps can we take?
6. Closing Prayer
(Prayed by all members.)
God of the ages, your eternal Word became
flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth, that we might see your glory and the
glory also of your Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Grant that, by the work of the Holy Spirit,
the seeds of faith, given to us by Christ may bring forth a harvest sown for your glory
and for the salvation of the world.
May we always reflect your love, choosing
the values of the gospel and in serving others until we come to our fulfilment in Christ,
who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.
