FEAST OF THE SACRED HEART - 30 May, 2008

MORNING AND EVENING PRAYER

Call to Worship

• Jesus says “Learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest”.

All  May Christ dwell in our hearts by faith.

• Open our hearts to the wonders of your love and to the challenge of the gospel.

All  May Christ dwell in our hearts by faith.

• The heart of Jesus was pierced, and blood and water flowed out.

All  May Christ dwell in our hearts by faith.

HYMN

Enflame our Hearts

(Monica Brown  and Emmaus Productions. 2003)

Enflame our hearts, O God of love,

May we be your light of love.

Enflame our hearts, O God of love, let your love burn deep in us.

PSALM Ps. 51

Antiphon: Creator, reshape my heart, God steady my spirit.

Have mercy tender God, forget that I defied you.

Wash away my sin, cleanse me from my guilt.

I know my evil well, it stares me in the face, evil done to you alone

Before your very eyes.

How right your condemnation! your verdict clearly just.

You see me for what I am, a sinner before my birth.

You love those centered in truth; teach me your hidden wisdom.

Wash me with fresh water, wash me bright as snow.

Fill me with happy songs, let the bones you bruised now dance.

Shut you eyes to my sin, make my guilt disappear.

Creator, reshape my heart, God steady my spirit.

Do not cast me aside, stripped of your holy spirit.

Save me, bring back my joy, support me, and strengthen my will.

Then I will teach your way and sinners will turn to you.

Help me, stop my tears, and I will sing your goodness.

Lord, give me words and I will shout your praise.

When I offer a holocaust, the gift does not please you.

So I offer my shattered spirit; a changed heart you welcome.

In your love make Zion lovely, rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

Then sacrifice will please you, young bulls upon your altar.

Glory to You, Source of all Being, eternal Word and Holy Spirit,

As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be.

Antiphon: Creator reshape my heart, God steady my spirit.

WORD OF GOD  (Morning Prayer)

Mathew 11: 25-30 (Jerusalem Bible translation)

I am gentle and humble of heart

SILENT REFLECTION

REFLECTION (Evening Prayer)

(Extract from notes of Mary Mackillop’s retreat in Rome. 1894)

“…. I feel that in the particular charge to which He has called me, He looks for greater fidelity and zeal. I at the same time feel as it were an intense craving on His part that I should serve Him with a big heart, not one only large enough for these particular duties but one large enough to help Him and struggle for His interests in every earthly way that He puts before me….”

SILENT REFLECTION

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH (Morning Prayer)

Antiphon: Learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest.

Blessed are you, God of Israel, for you have visited and redeemed your people,

And have raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of your servant.

As you spoke through the mouths of your holy prophets from of old,

That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all who oppress us;

To perform the mercy promised to our ancestors,

And to remember your holy covenant,

The oath you swore to Abraham and Sarah, to grant us deliverance from evil,

That we might serve you without fear in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives.

And you child,

Will be called the prophet of the Most High,

For you will go before the Holy One

To prepare God’s ways.

To give knowledge of salvation to God’s people

In the forgiveness of their sins.

Through the tender mercy of our God

When the day shall dawn upon us from on high

To give light to those who sit in darkness

And in the shadow of death,

To guide our feet in the way into the way of peace.

Glory to you, Source of all Being, eternal Word and Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be.

Antiphon: Learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest.

CANTICLE OF MARY  (EVENING PRAYER)

(Tranlation from Myriam of Nazareth, Women of Strength and Wisdom. Ann Johnson, Ave Maria Press 1984)

Antiphon: All will know you are my followers if you have love for one another.

Magnificat of Conversion (based on John 12:35-37)

My soul comes in the Darkness of unknowing

To the secret room of Yahweh;

My spirit seeks understanding in the happenings of these days,

Because God looks upon the people in a new way.

Yes, from this day forward

All generations will speak to these strand events

As wonderful;

And those of us who walk blindly trusting

Will be called blessed,

For the presence of the Almighty, the Most loving One,

Is felt in our land.

Holy is the name of the One, who is eternally new,

God’s guiding hand reaches from age to age

For those who grope and stumble

In search of a saving way.

We are shown the power of touching

And simply being open to each other;

Our proud imagings of the high place

Of our chosen nation are scattered and ground down.

The hungry of heart are fed with enabling love,

In places where there was need people now give to others

From their abundance,

The rich are troubled and rumble in revenge.

You have come, Yahweh, because we have summoned you to help us.

Remember in you mercy that we are often confused by freedom.

… According to our history we are the ones who wandered

Doubting and angry on the Sinai journey,

Choosers of gold and wantonness

In our fear of you inadequacy…..

Remember in your mercy that we are often confused by freedom

And turn us around until we stand with clarity

On the holy ground you have prepared for us.

Help us to trust the fragility of each human heart.

Help us to empower with simplicity the one-by oneness you have taught us.

For we are the struggling, longing people

Stumbling and striding in your shadowy desert

Sisters and brothers to Miryam and Aaron

Seeking our homeland in you.

Glory to you…………..

Antiphon: All will know you are my followers if you have love for one another.

INTERCESSIONS

Leader Send forth your Spirit, and enkindle in us the fire of your love.

Spontaneous prayer

CLOSING PRAYER

O God, you have revealed your love for us through the compassionate heart of Jesus, May His forgiving love call us all to a change of heart. Strengthen in us the desire to live for one another and for the glory of your name. Amen

BLESSING

Leader May Jesus teach you how to bring comfort and hope to those who mourn

All: Pause in silence

Leader: May you have the wisdom and generosity to follow Jesus and to draw others into his way of loving.

All: Pause in silence

Leader: May the spirit of Truth bring you freedom

All: Pause in silence

CLOSING HYMN

Mantra

Enflame our Hearts (Monica Brown, Emmaus Productions, 2003)

Acknowledgements

Psalm text: Psalms for Morning and Evening Prayer. Chicago 1995

Canticle of Zechariah and Blessing: People’s Companion  to the Breviary, Indianapolis, 1997.

All other sources acknowledged within the text.