A Spiritual Communion

29^th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Please join us in this prayer which unites us to Christ and to each other at Saint Hubert.

Opening Our Heart to God
In the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Lord, I know you are with me, always. You teach me your truth, and guide me in your paths.  As I begin this time of spiritual communion, I turn to you calling to mind the ways I have strayed from what is right and good and ask for your mercy.

Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy.

May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and lead us into everlasting life.

Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth, peace to people of good will!

Opening Prayer
Almighty and ever-living God,
our source of power and inspiration,
give us strength and joy
in serving you as followers of Christ,
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, forever and ever.
Amen.

The Word of God: The Words of Life
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/101721.cfm

First Reading: Isaiah 53:10-11
Isaiah prophesies the coming of the Suffering Servant.
 
Responsorial: Psalm 33
Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

Second Reading: Hebrews 4:14-16
Jesus is able to sympathize with us in all we go through, including our weakness.

Gospel: Mark 10:35-45
Jesus reveals the way to greatness is through serving others.

A Reflection by Fr. Mike
Growing up, one of the things we begin to think about is the kind of mark we’ll make in our life.  We think of all the great things we may be able to do.  What Jesus is saying in our gospel today is we should strive for greatness—absolutely—but not the kind of greatness that James and John were looking for; a greatness that drove them to want to be in a special place or position of power over others.  Instead, Jesus urges us to strive for the kind of greatness that’s found in serving others; to put our passion and energy into helping others. And that’s something everyone can achieve.  We don’t need popularity, power, prestige, a certain position, or to be in a certain place—we just need to be present to someone who needs a helping hand. 

There’s a well-known story about a 100-yard race that took place in the mid-1970’s for the Special Olympics. As the race started, a boy tripped and fell down. One of his competitors noticed and stopped to help care for him. She lifted him up and then they linked arms and together they finished the race. They crossed the finish line together.

That’s a story about the kind of greatness Jesus loves to see.  It’s not in having to be number one at all costs, but to bring someone to the finish line with us. That’s because heaven isn’t a place of positions and titles—that’s our human way of thinking about it--it’s oneness with God, and our desire is that we should want to help each other get there. St. Paul talks about this too. We put ourselves at the service of one another, so that each of us can be in a position to practice greatness. In this way, kids can be great, teens can be great, seniors can be great—we can all be great. How do we do that? We follow what Jesus teaches us through the Church.  We call it doing works of mercy, which all involve compassion. 

Physically we can do the Corporal Works of Mercy, things like helping to feed the hungry and give a drink to someone who’s thirsty.  We practice this each month through our food drives. We can give clothes to those who need them, which we did this weekend as we collected coats, gloves, hats, scarfs and sweaters for those in need at our sharing parish, St. Aloysius.  If someone is on the verge of homelessness we can help them find resources or a solution to help them avoid having to head onto the streets.  We can visit someone who’s sick or who may find themselves in prison.  And we do the human thing of providing a proper burial for those who go before us in faith.

Spiritually, we can help too. We all them the Spiritual Works of Mercy.  We can counsel those who are eager to learn more about our faith or try to reach out those who are going through a period of doubt or uncertainty about God.  We can comfort those who are going through hard times.  We can try to help someone realize the way they are living may be harming others by their sinfulness, which they may be blinded to.  We can forgive others who hurt us, and be patient with them as they come to realize what it is they’ve done and work toward reconciliation.  And, all of us can pray.  We pray for each other and with each other.  And we can pray for those who go before us that they will be welcomed into God’s loving care.

This is achieving greatness in God’s eyes.  Simple things like prayer, forgiveness, counseling, comforting, showing compassion and meeting basic human needs—like food, drink, shelter, clothing and, so importantly, companionship.  Greatness is in not being competitive with others, but walking with them. And it’s very attractive and admirable.  In fact, Gallop did a poll asking Americans who they admired most in the 20^th Century. The most admired person was Mother Teresa.  Maybe that’s because goodness and kindness and service to others always looks like a light that we need to see. It reveals truth.

Jesus says that a light needs to be seen, not hidden.  So put the light on a place where it can shine.  When we all do that together, the kingdom of God looks like a city on a hill that can’t be hidden.  The light shines—it shows its greatness. That’s what makes St. Hubert a special place to be. Goodness can be seen in our parish through countless acts of goodness, kindness and service. We truly try to live our mission of building up the Body of Christ among us.

So, today Jesus helps us see true greatness is in serving.  That’s the way a Christian leads and makes a difference.  It’s not about a position, but a way of being and living life. And each one of us can achieve it.  Jesus shows us the way.

Consider sharing some of your own perspectives or spend some time in personal reflection. What are some of the Corporal or Spiritual Works of Mercy that you have experienced?


All I Believe
As an alternative to the Nicene Creed, the Church also encourages Catholics around the world to profess the most ancient creed of our faith, The Apostle’s Creed.

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth;
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son Our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father almighty;
from there he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body
and life everlasting.
Amen.


The Prayers of the Faithful
Good and gracious God, in union with my brothers and sisters at St. Hubert, we bring our prayers to you.

• For our Holy Father, Pope Francis, for Cardinal Cupich, the bishops, clergy and laity who shepherd the Church, we pray to the Lord.
• For peace in our hearts and in the world, that our leaders may use their authority with respect and justice in the service of the common good of all, we pray to the Lord.
• For the protection of human life in all its stages, from conception to natural death, we pray to the Lord.
• For all the sick, injured and suffering, that they know Christ knows their pain and ask for His comfort and strength, including Kevin Longueil, Ed Chamberlin, Rita Klimczak, Peg Farrell, Matthew Smith, Cesar Arellano, Mitch Lenzi, Eileen Stachler, Erich Djordjevic (Eric George-jev-ic, for all those struggling from COVID-19 and other serious illnesses, for those we have anointed this weekend and for your intentions, we pray to the Lord.
• That the kindness of the Lord be upon our faithful departed ones who have put their trust in Him, bringing them into the joy of His kingdom, including Dennis Gilbert, Robert Pera, Maria Gorecki, and victims of violence and natural disasters and those for whom you would like to remember, we pray to the Lord.
• For your needs, for the needs of those listed in our Book of Prayer intentions and for those for whom we are offering Masses for this weekend: Lou Buschnot, Joseph Niemann, James Postol, Joseph Pudela, LeRoy Kauffman, the Kelly & Mangan Families, Oscar D. Marasigan, James Garvey, Eugene Hetman, Cirilo Dayao, Leo Macaraeg, Sr., and our St. Hubert Parishioners, we pray to the Lord

May these prayers be answered according to your will, O God. We ask them all through Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen.

A Spiritual Offering
During the Mass, we bring up gifts of bread and wine and thank God for them, because he gave them to us. Those gifts are then returned to us. God gives himself to us through Jesus Christ.  What do you offer to God today of yourself, that can be returned as a gift to others?  Who would you like to remember or offer this time of prayer for?

Longing for Communion
As we contemplate our desire to have Jesus Christ in our life, we prepare our hearts—knowing the angels and the saints are in communion with the One we long to be with.  Let us lift up our hearts to the Lord.

It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,
always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, Holy Father, almighty and eternal God
through Christ our Lord.

For in you we live and move and have our being,
and while in this body we not only experience the daily effects of your care,
we even now possess the pledge of eternal life.

For having received the first fruits of the Spirit,
through whom you have raised up Jesus from the dead,
we hope for an everlasting share in the Paschal Mystery.

And so, with all the Angels we praise you,
as in joyful celebration we acclaim:

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

The Prayer that Unites Us
United with my brothers and sisters at St. Hubert and with Catholics around the world, with one voice we pray the prayer Jesus teaches us to pray together.
Our Father, who art in heaven…

A Time for Peace
Lord, Jesus Christ,
You said to your apostles, “Peace I leave you, my peace I give you”.
Please graciously grant peace to all of us,
to those in our family
and to everyone in our parish.
Allow us to be of one mind and heart.
Allow us to be an instrument of your peace.
(If praying with others, offer a sign of peace to one another.)

A Time for Spiritual Communion
As we long for the Eucharist, we long to be with Christ and share in his life.  Let us spend some moments now in prayer uniting our life to the life of Jesus Christ.  (You may even want to look upon a crucifix or hold it, or look upon an image or statue of Jesus Christ.)

My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most Blessed Sacrament.
I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace You as if You were already there,
and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You.
Amen.

Prayer for Strength and Guidance
O Lord, I give you my worries and concerns
and I ask for your guidance.

You see it all, the outer circumstances, the inner turmoil. I know that you understand my life, that sometimes my heart weighs heavy with trouble.
Right now, I lay all these things before you. I breathe in, safe in the knowledge that I am held by grace. I breathe out, knowing that I am held secure in your arms. And I wait on you.

For you are all truth, you are overflowing love, you are a beacon of hope and a fortress of faith. Lord, I choose to be attentive to your voice. May I be alert to how your Spirit is guiding me as I journey onwards with you.
Amen. 

Pastoral Note:
For those who may want to experience a more contemplative form of prayer, allow the Holy Spirit to pray within you. One way is to center ourselves by being conscious of our own breathing.  Slowly breathe in.  As you hold your breath for a second or two, picture Jesus Christ or even his name in your mind.  Then slowly breathe out. You can repeat this type of spiritual exercise until you are ready to close in prayer. This can be done as easily with children as with adults. It can be very comforting, peaceful and a way to find communion with God by feeling His presence.

A Closing Prayer
Lord,
As we seek this spiritual communion
and desire Your presence,
we pray, that You will protect us in these uncertain times.

Please give us the hope we need day by day,
strengthen our desire to help one another,
and keep our St. Hubert Parish community close to You.

We long to be one family of faith, united
and of one mind and heart
as we seek your presence in all that we do.

We ask all our prayers through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.

Going Forth
Thank you, God, for this time we have shared.
I know you are with me.

Send me forward
glorifying You by the way I live my life.

In the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.