Introduction:
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
-Amen.
God, come to my assistance:
-Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Hymn: Seek Ye First
Seek ye first the kingdom of God
And His righteousness,
and all these things shall be added unto you.
Allelu, Alleluia!
Man shall not live by bread alone
but by every word
that proceeded from the mouth of God.
Allelu, Alleluia!
Ask, and it shall be given unto you.
Seek, and ye shall find.
Knock, and the door shall be opened unto you.
Allelu, Alleluia!
Metanoia:
Antiphon 1: I will tend to You with all my being!
Lord Jesus, I live in a culture that continually calls me away from you.
It encourages me to become a lord unto myself, and to love myself at the expense of loving You.
This is not a new phenomenon, but a state of being that man incessantly creates for himself.
“These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.”
In response, the entirety of scripture calls me to turn away from the world and toward You.
This is the true meaning and work of Penance.
At all times I am to seek you! Always, I should tend to you with all my being!
This requires a complete and unceasing change of mind and heart.
Motivated by the dynamic power of your call, teaching, and presence,
I am to unconditionally conform my thoughts and deeds to yours.
Because of my human frailty, this renewal must be carried out daily.
My conversion must be radical, deep and profound.
It can only be continuous, and it will never be complete.
Each day, Lord, I must commit myself to ensuring that you are my inspiration.
Each day, I must confirm that you are the center of my life.
Each day, I must immerse myself in your gospels, seeking you resolutely.
Unfortunately, I lack the power, the wisdom, and the fortitude to fulfill this desire.
My life is a testament to my ineptitude, foolishness, and weakness.
Sadly, I remain firmly in the grasp of my culture and the world.
Please, Lord, hear my pleas!
Do not leave me to my own devices!
Send your Spirit to be my aid!
Rescue me! Deliver me! Secure me!
I beg of you, be my assistance and my salvation.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Psalm Prayer: Love the Lord with your whole heart, your whole soul, your whole mind, and all your strength. Love your neighbor as yourself. Hate your body with its vices and sins. Receive the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and produce worthy fruits of Penance. Happy and blessed will you be when you persevere in doing these things!
Antiphon 1: I will tend to you with all my being!
On Peter:
Antiphon 2: Submerge me in your Love!
Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
“Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
Too often, Lord, I am more like Peter than I wish to be.
You speak to me, but, wrapped up in my own earthly concern, I do not hear you.
All I know is my own perspective, my own concern, my own desire.
Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.”
You are truth and you reveal yourself to me.
But I refuse to recognize you and to accept the Word you speak.
I am unable to let go, unable to leave my worldliness behind in favor of you.
…….the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.
Is this my destiny, Lord?
How many times do I need to weep bitter tears like Peter?
When will I submit? When will I become yours, completely?
Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water.
I wish to jump, Lord, into the water.
Grant me the courage to submerge myself in your Love.
Allow me to emerge renewed,
a new creation born of the Holy Spirit,
a new creation fully focused on You,
a new creation who desires only to rest in your peace and presence.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Antiphon 2: Submerge me in your Love!
Excerpt from the 2nd Letter of St. Claire to Agnes of Prague:
Antiphon 3: Gaze upon Christ! Consider Christ! Contemplate Christ! Imitate Christ!
Embrace the poor Christ.
Look upon Him Who became contemptible for you,
and follow Him, making yourself contemptible in this world for Him.
Gaze upon Him,
Consider Him,
Contemplate Him,
Imitate Him,
Christ, though more beautiful than the children of men became, for your salvation, the lowest of men.
He was despised, struck, and scourged untold times throughout His entire body.
Then He died amid the suffering of the Cross.
If you suffer with Him, you will reign with Him.
Weeping with Him, you will rejoice with Him;
Dying on the cross of tribulation with Him, you will possess heavenly mansions with Him.
Among the splendor of the saints and in the Book of Life your name will be called glorious.
You shall share forever the glory of the kingdom of heaven in place of what is earthly and passing,
you shall have everlasting treasures instead of those that perish,
and you shall live forever and ever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Psalm Prayer: What you hold, may you hold. What you do, may you do and not stop. With swift pace, light step, and unswerving feet, may you go forward securely, joyfully, and swiftly, on the path of prudent happiness, believing nothing and agreeing with nothing that would dissuade you from offering yourself to the Most High in the perfection to which the Spirit of the Lord has called you!
Antiphon 3: Gaze upon Christ! Consider Christ! Contemplate Christ! Imitate Christ!
Reading (Mark 12:28-34):
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
“Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.
Responsory:
I cry day and night to you!
Let my prayer enter your sight!
Incline your ear to my pleas!
-Come to my aid, Lord God, my salvation!
My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready!
I will sing and chant a psalm!
Attend to my soul and free it!
-Come to my aid!
I will praise you among the peoples, O Lord!
Your mercy is exalted to the skies!
Your truth to the heavens!
-Come to my aid, Lord God, my salvation!
Canticle (1 Corinthians 13:1-8, 13)
Antiphon: Faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
If I speak in human and angelic tongues,
but do not have love,
I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.
And if I have the gift of prophecy,
and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge;
if I have all faith so as to move mountains,
but do not have love, I am nothing.
If I give away everything I own,
and if I hand my body over so that I may boast,
but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind.
It is not jealous, it is not pompous,
It is not inflated, it is not rude,
it does not seek its own interests,
it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,
it does not rejoice over wrongdoing
but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Antiphon: Faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Intercessions:
O all you who pass along the way, look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow,
for many dogs surrounded me, and a pack of evildoers closed in on me.
-Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, Who will not abandon those who hope in Him.
They looked and stared at me.
They divided my garments among them, and cast lots for my tunic.
-Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, Who will not abandon those who hope in Him.
They pierced my hands and my feet.
I have been poured out like water and my bones have been scattered.
-Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, Who will not abandon those who hope in Him.
My heart has become like melting wax in the midst of my bosom.
My strength has been dried up like baked clay and my tongue clings to my jaw.
-Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, Who will not abandon those who hope in Him.
They gave me gall as my food, and, in my thirst, vinegar to drink.
They led me into the dust of death, and added sorrow to my wounds.
-Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, Who will not abandon those who hope in Him.
I have slept and risen and my most Holy Father has received me with glory.
Holy Father, you held my right hand and led me with your counsel.
See, see that I am God says the Lord.
I shall be exalted among the nations and exalted on the earth.
-Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, Who will not abandon those who hope in Him.
Our Father:
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.
Amen.
Concluding Prayer:
Let every creature in heaven, on earth, in the sea and in the depths,
give praise, glory, honor and blessing to Him who suffered so much.
He alone has given and will give in the future every good, for He is our power and strength.
He alone is good, alone is almighty, alone is omnipotent, wonderful, and glorious.
He alone is holy and worthy of praise and blessings until the end of the ages.
Amen.
Dismissal:
May the Lord bless me, protect me from all evil, and bring me to everlasting life.
-Amen.
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
-Amen.
OFS Ongoing 