WORSHIP@HOME
Great Gifts for Catholic Grandparents
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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 learn how to better love those around us.
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.
Opening Prayer
Leader: Let us pray
Leader:
God of surprises,
you give us everything we need
so that we can respond in a loving way
to whatever happens to us.
Help us to be ready
and to pay attention to how you want us to act.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
LITURGY OF THE WORD
Psalm
Refrain:
My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord,
thirsting for you, my God.
My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord,
thirsting for you, my God,
thirsting for you, my God.
Verse 1:
O God, you are my God,
and I will always praise you.
In the shadow of your wings
I cling to you and you hold me high.
Refrain
Verse 2:
Through the day you walk with me;
all the night your love
surrounds me.
To the glory of your name
I lift my hands, I sing your praise.
Refrain
Verse 3:
I will never be afraid,
for I will not be abandoned.
Even when the road grows long
and weary
your love will rescue me.
Refrain
© Steve Angrisano 1997.
Alleluia
Gospel
Reader 1:
In today’s reading, Jesus tells us a story about being ready.
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:
Jesus told his disciples this parable:
The kingdom of heaven is like what happened one night
when ten girls took their oil lamps and went to a wedding to meet the groom.
Five of the girls were foolish and five were wise.
The foolish ones took their lamps, but no extra oil.
The ones who were wise took along extra oil for their lamps.
The groom was late arriving, and the girls became drowsy and fell asleep.
Then in the middle of the night someone shouted,
“Here’s the groom! Come to meet him!”
When the girls got up and started getting their lamps ready, the foolish ones said to the others,
“Let us have some of your oil! Our lamps are going out.”
The girls who were wise answered,
“There’s not enough oil for all of us! Go and buy some for yourselves.”
While the foolish girls were on their way to get some oil, the groom arrived.
The girls who were ready went into the wedding, and the doors were closed.
Later the other girls returned and shouted,
“Sir, sir! Open the door for us!”
But the groom replied, “I don’t even know you!”
So, my disciples, always be ready!
You don’t know the day or the time when all this will happen.
Reader 1:
Jesus told his disciples this parable:
"The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins
who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
The foolish ones, when taking their lamps,
brought no oil with them,
but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.
Since the bridegroom was long delayed,
they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight, there was a cry,
‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.
The foolish ones said to the wise,
‘Give us some of your oil,
for our lamps are going out.’
But the wise ones replied,
'No, for there may not be enough for us and you.
Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’
While they went off to buy it,
the bridegroom came
and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him.
Then the door was locked.
Afterwards the other virgins came and said,
‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’
But he said in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’
Therefore, stay awake,
for you know neither the day nor the hour."
Reader 1: The Gospel of the Lord.
All: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Gospel Video Reflections
Here's a eight minute video for kids that focuses on this Gospel and being ready for Jesus.
Reflections on the Readings
- Do you think the wise virgins should have shared their extra oil with the foolish ones? Why or why not? (Parents, there is no correct answer here—just let your children ponder it.)
- Jesus tells lots of parables about our need to stay alert and “stay awake,” but he doesn’t mean that we should never go to sleep! He means we should always be ready and be prepared, but for what? His listeners at that time thought he was talking about when he would come again at the end of the world, which they thought could be any day. If you thought the world might end really soon, what would you want to make sure to do before that?
- Thinking about this upcoming week, what do you think Jesus might want you to stay alert and be ready for?
General Intercessions
Leader: Now let’s pray together to God for what we need.
Reader 2:
We pray for all those who are lonely during this time,
that they may be able to still feel a sense of community and God's embrace,
let us pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
Reader 2:
We pray for those without enough money for food, shelter, or medical care,
that the community can ensure that everyone in need is cared for,
let us pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
Reader 2:
We pray for the Church, that we may continue to be God's love and presence in the world,
even when we are unable to gather physically in our parishes,
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
Gathered here, we see we are one family.
Love is what we need.
Gathered here, we see we are one family.
Love is what we need.
All who dwell in God dwell in love,
and love will set us free.
So let our mission be to live so all will see
his love in us.
In everyone we meet, the greatest and the least,
love is what we need.
In everyone we meet, the greatest and the least,
love is what we need.
So now we join in faith to share our hope in grace
that in the darkest night love is our saving light.
© 2015, Steve Angrisano. Published by Spirit & Song®, a division of OCP. All rights reserved.
Great Gifts for Catholic Grandparents
Support us by buying a book or two!
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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.
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