13th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Call to worship
Today’s scriptures call us to open our hearts in radical ways, like the prominent woman in today’s first reading who adds a room to her house for the holy prophet.
But Jesus demands even more of his disciples. They must love him over their parents. They must be ready to let go of tradition and habit, and even of their very own identity. They must be willing to trust him with their futures in order to be able to take up the cross and really follow.
We can live life more fully when we recognize the limitations of power, possessions and relationships; when we choose to carry the cross of Christ to love Jesus above all else, to give of ourselves and to open our hearts to the prophetic vision.
- To the point: At the center of this Gospel is Jesus’ startling statement that the only way we have life is to lose it. We lose our life by choosing to love Jesus even above family and by serving others — even “little ones.”
- Connecting the Gospel to the first reading: The Shunemite woman served the prophet Elisha and provided for his needs; by so serving she received in turn the gift of life.
- Connecting the Gospel to experience: We all experience the impulse to express our love concretely, for example, by sending cards, flowers, inviting the beloved to dinner, etc. We concretely express our love for Jesus by serving others.
Centering prayers
The Gospel
(Matthew 10:37-42)
“And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink
because the little one is a disciple — amen, I say to you,
he will surely not lose his reward.
What is needed most now?
For our whole Earth it is clean air.
For war’s end it’s a peace treaty.
For a virus end it’s a vaccine.
For the hungry it’s a meal.
For our racial problems it is justice and love.
for all who thirst it’s a cup of water.
O God, you ask little of us.
Please help us give each other the
“cup of water” we all need.
Give us desire and your knowledge and insight
to fix all the problems we have.
Let us not ignore those souls that
thirst. We all thirst for your living water.
The First Reading
(2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16a)
“I know that Elisha is a holy man of God. Since he visits us often,
let us arrange a little room on the roof.”
At times, when prophets, like Romero, speak,
they lay down their lives.
If we are not ready to go that far,
to speak out loud and clear,
then give us the grace to stand by them and learn
to speak quietly, each in our own way, for you.
The Second Reading
(Romans 6:3-4, 8-11)
“You too must think of yourselves as dead to sin
and living for God in Christ Jesus.”
To live for God. O Christ,
what does it mean?
Are we to receive the prophet,
and at other times to become united?
Will you help us offer a cup of cold water,
and let us receive it? Be with us
every minute of our lives.
Copyright © 2020, Anne M. Osdieck
Music for reflection
‘Vedro con mio diletto’
(Italian lyrics)
Vedrò con mio diletto
L’alma dell’alma mia, dell’alma mia
Il core del mio cor pien di content
Pien di contento
Vedrò con mio diletto
L’alma dell’alma mia, dell’alma mia
Il core del questo cor pien di content
Pien di contento
E se dal caro oggetto, lungi convien che sia,
convien che sia sospirerò penando ogni momento
(English translation)
I’ll see to my delight
What pleasure it will give me
to see the soul of my soul, of my soul.
The heart of my heart filled with happiness,
filled with happiness.
What pleasure it will give me
to see the soul of my soul, of my soul.
The heart of this heart filled with happiness,
filled with happiness.
And if from the one I love,
I must be parted, must be parted.
In sighing and suffering, I shall spend every moment.