WORSHIP@HOME
Faith-Based Books for Busy Parents
Support us by buying a book or two!
Preparation
- We recommend glancing through the whole service before you start. Adapt the service for your family, especially so it will be age-appropriate.
- You could make the setting special by using a green table cloth and setting some candles out. Get the whole family involved in the preparations.
- Place your family Bible on the table, if you have one, opened up to the Gospel of the day.
- The script has leader and various reader parts. Anyone old enough to read well can perform these roles.
- An iPad/tablet computer or large phone could work well for reading the script. It would would be helpful to have two devices for multiple people to read.
- Don't worry, you don't have to do this perfectly. Have some fun with it. Let's pray!
Just Before You Begin
- Silence and set aside all phones or other devices that may interrupt you.
INTRODUCTORY RITES
Opening Song
Greeting
Leader:
┼ In the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen.
Leader:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father
and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be God forever.
(The response is: Blessed be God forever.)
All: Blessed be God forever.
Leader:
We gather together as a family
to listen to God's Word so it can lead us this week.
One with all of our sisters and brothers throughout the world,
let us now listen to God's Word and join in prayer.
All: Amen.
Litany in Praise of God's Mercy
Leader:
As we prepare to hear a story from our faith,
let us remember that God is merciful and wants us to be merciful too.
Lord Jesus, you know that we are not perfect like you and don't always act out of love:
Lord, have mercy.
All: Lord, have mercy.
Leader:
Lord Jesus, you showed us that the last shall be first and the first shall be last:
Christ, have mercy.
All: Christ, have mercy.
Leader:
Lord Jesus, you give us the strength we need to make good choices:
Lord, have mercy.
All: Lord, have mercy.
Opening Prayer
Leader: Let us pray
Leader:
God of Love,
you stand for justice
and are always on the side of the weak.
May we work toward a better world,
seeking what is best for all,
not just our friends or people who look like us.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
LITURGY OF THE WORD
Alleluia
Gospel
Reader 1:
In today’s reading, Jesus tells another story, this time about a party.
We now do this action prayer together:
May the Lord be on my mind, ┼
on my lips, ┼
and in my heart ┼
as we hear the Gospel today.
A reading from the holy Gospel of Matthew.
Reader 1:
Once again Jesus used stories to teach the people:
The kingdom of heaven is like what happened when a king gave a wedding banquet for his son.
The king sent some servants to tell the invited guests to come to the banquet, but the guests refused.
He sent other servants to say to the guests,
“The banquet is ready! My cattle and prize calves have all been prepared.
Everything is ready. Come to the banquet!”
But the guests did not pay any attention.
Some of them left for their farms, and some went to their places of business.
Others grabbed the servants, then beat them up and killed them.
This made the king so furious that he sent an army to kill those murderers and burn down their city.
Then he said to the servants,
“It is time for the wedding banquet, and the invited guests don’t deserve to come.
Go out to the street corners and tell everyone you meet to come to the banquet.”
They went out on the streets and brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike.
And the banquet room was filled with guests.
Reader 1:
Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and elders of the people
in parables, saying,
"The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who gave a wedding feast for his son.
He dispatched his servants
to summon the invited guests to the feast,
but they refused to come.
A second time he sent other servants, saying,
'Tell those invited: "Behold, I have prepared my banquet,
my calves and fattened cattle are killed,
and everything is ready; come to the feast."’
Some ignored the invitation and went away,
one to his farm, another to his business.
The rest laid hold of his servants,
mistreated them, and killed them.
The king was enraged and sent his troops,
destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
Then he said to his servants, 'The feast is ready,
but those who were invited were not worthy to come.
Go out, therefore, into the main roads
and invite to the feast whomever you find.’
The servants went out into the streets
and gathered all they found, bad and good alike,
and the hall was filled with guests."
Reader 1: The Gospel of the Lord.
All: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Gospel Video Retelling
The following is a cartoon retelling of this parable as it appears in Luke's Gospel (Luke 14:12-24). Some of the details are a little bit different.
Reflections on the Readings
- What do you think of this story? What do you think Jesus was trying to teach? (Adults: There are no right or wrong answers here. Let this be a time for musing aloud what the point of the story is.)
- Many people think Jesus was equating the invited guests who didn’t come to the banquet to the people in his day who didn’t accept his teachings and healings. Instead of celebrating all the good things Jesus was doing, like healing the sick, taking care of the poor, and welcoming those who others excluded, they kept trying to find fault with what he was doing. Can you think of any examples of people doing good/doing the right thing, but others finding fault with them?
- This parable is another reminder from Jesus that the Kingdom of God is open to everyone. Every single person is invited, good or bad, no matter what their race, age, religion, abilities, or the bad things they might have done in life. Who can you think of who is sometimes excluded or not invited to be a part of groups or events that Jesus might want you to reach out to welcome?
General Intercessions
Leader: Now let’s pray together to God for what we need.
Reader 2:
We pray for all the leaders in our nation, states, and local communities,
that they may lead with wisdom, justice, and love for all,
let us pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
Reader 2:
We pray for all of those affected by natural disasters,
let us pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
Reader 2:
We pray for all those who suffer in our country because of injustice and judgment
because of their skin color, their religion, or any other form of discrimination.
May we all work for justice because every single person is a child of God.
let us pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
Reader 2: For what else and for who else shall we pray?
Lord's Prayer
Leader: Jesus taught us to call God our Father, and so we have the courage to say:
All:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Sign of Peace
Leader: Let us now offer each other a sign of peace.
A Litany for Spiritual Communion
Leader: The response is: Lord, bring us closer to you!
All: Lord, bring us closer to you!
Leader:
Lord our God,
we wish we could gather today with our parish community,
but we gather here out of love and concern for others.
You teach us that when two or three are gathered in your name,
you are there.
Together, we pray:
All: Lord, bring us closer to you!
Leader:
Christ Jesus, you are present in a special way
when bread and wine are turned into your Body and Blood.
Since we cannot receive you in this way today,
We ask that you enter our hearts
so that we may receive you spiritually.
Together, we pray:
All: Lord, bring us closer to you!
Leader:
Lord our God,
watch over your family
and keep us safe in your care,
for all our hope is in you.
All: Lord, bring us closer to you!
Concluding Rite
Blessing & Dismissal
Leader: Go in the peace of Christ.
All: Thanks be to God.
Closing Song
Faith-Based Books for Busy Parents
Support us by buying a book or two!
After the Service
Give Us a Tip: Support Our Ministry
The Pastoral Center is a small, family-based ministry and business (pictured: Paul, Madeleine, Ann, and Rachel). This is our full-time job and ministry, and it's the way we pay our bills. We do not receive funding from any parish or diocese, except through resource sales (which are now largely suspended indefinitely). You are under no obligation, but we are very grateful for any contributions!
Please Support Your Local Parish
Your parish still has to pay the electric bill and your staff, even when public Masses are cancelled. If you haven't already, sign up for electronic payments or mail in a check today.
Give Us Feedback
How did it go? What would have made it better? Send us an email at resources@pastoralcenter.com to share feedback with us.
Portions excerpted from or adapted from Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest: Leader's Guide © 1993 United States Catholic Conference (USCC), 3211 Fourth Street, NE, Washington, DC 20017-1194 USA. All rights reserved.
© 2020 The Pastoral Center. All rights reserved.
