Worship

"There are millions of favors hanging from Heaven on silken cords, and prayer is the sword that cuts them."  Bishop Fulton J. Sheen

Theology for the Laity, Rosary Center & Confraternity
Fr. Bartholomew Hutcherson, O.P.

“I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me …My sheep hear my voice, I know them and they follow me…” _{(John 10:14 and 27)}

Jesus spoke these words to Jewish authorities in Jerusalem. They served as both a critique of the leadership of those authorities (whom he compared to hired-men who had no care for the sheep), and as comfort and instruction to those who were looking for the Messiah, an alternative shepherd. Read the entire article.

This year the Lenten Season begins with Ash Wednesday, February 17, 2021 and ends on the evening of Holy Thursday, April 1, as the Easter Triduum - the Easter Season begins.

Lent is the time of spiritual preparation prior to the Easter season; the 40 days of Lent correspond to the 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness to fast, pray, and endure the temptations of the devil, all in preparation for his public ministry which would culminate in his death on the cross. By the solemn forty days of Lent the Church unites herself each year to the mystery of Jesus in the desert. (CCC 540) The seasons and days of penance in the course of the liturgical year (Lent and each Friday in memory of the death of the Lord) are intense moments of the Church’s penitential practice.

"Each year, Lent offers us a providential opportunity to deepen the meaning and value of our Christian lives, and it stimulates us to rediscover the mercy of God so that we, in turn, become more merciful toward our brothers and sisters. In the Lenten period, the Church makes it her duty to propose some specific tasks that accompany the faithful concretely in this process of interior renewal: these are prayer, fasting and almsgiving." —Pope Benedict XVI

The summit of the Liturgical Year is the Easter Triduum—from the evening of Holy Thursday to the evening of Easter Sunday. Though chronologically three days, they are liturgically one day unfolding for us the unity of Christ's Paschal Mystery.

The single celebration of the Triduum marks the end of the Lenten season, and leads to the Mass of the Resurrection of the Lord at the Easter Vigil.

The liturgical services that take place during the Triduum are:

• Mass of the Lord's Supper
• Good Friday of the Lord's Passion
• Mass of the Resurrection of the Lord

Sacred scripture makes it abundantly clear we have a duty, as individuals and as a social being,
to offer God authentic worship; to lift our minds and hearts in prayer and adoration of God.

Adoration, thanksgiving, repentance, and petition are the four purposes of prayer.

“Adoring God, praying to him, offering him the worship that belongs to him, fulfilling the
promises and vows made to him are acts of the virtue of religion which fall under obedience to
the first commandment.” (CCC 2135)

We worship God by attending Mass on Sundays and on Days of Obligation, to participate in
adoration, prayer, and to receive the sacrament of the Eucharist. At other times, through prayer we express our love for God and our gratitude for his many blessings, and to request his help during times of need.

We are creatures composed of a spiritual soul and a physical body. We are all guilty of sin;
prayer allows us to express our sorrow and regret for our sins, as well as seek protection and
consolation in times of difficulty. Our strength comes from without, not within.

“Prayer is a dialogue with God…read through sacred Scripture and you will find a record of
people to whom God has spoken, as well as those who listened to him.” (Bishop Fulton J. Sheen)

Just a few of examples that teach us prayer consists of both speaking - and listening:

The Lord’s Prayer (Matt 6:9-13) – his followers asked Jesus to teach them how to pray – the
resulting prayer has been repeated by millions of Christians daily for almost 2,000 years.

Hannah’s Prayer for a Son – Deeply troubled and mocked for her inability to conceive a child,
Hannah prayed, asking God to give her a son and in gratitude she promised to “give him to the
Lord for all the days of his life. God answered Hannah’s prayer for a son; she gave birth to
Samuel who became one of the great prophets of ancient Israel.

Jonah’s Prayer for Salvation (Jonah 2:2-9) – Jonah’s prayer of repentance for disobeying God.

Prayer is how you begin a conversation with God. We live in a world of distractions, from noise,
from the many stresses involved in everyday life. Listening to God requires a deliberate choice to
set aside time each day to spend in prayer, to shut out all the noise, the chaos, around you and
focus solely on your conversation with God.