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General Theme: Means of perseverance General Objective: That the disciples can participate actively in the mission of Jesus making them missionary disciples that persevere faithfully in their following. Objective of the week: That we may deepen the eschatological and Eucharistic dimension of the mission of Christ and the Church. INTRODUCTION In this introduction, we will make a summary of the one from last week. October is the month dedicated to the mission. Every year on the third Sunday of October we celebrate World Mission Sunday. What is World Mission Sunday? World Mission Sunday, organized by the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, is a day set aside for Catholics worldwide to reflect on their own baptism, when they received the gift of faith, and recommit themselves to the Church's missionary activity through prayer and sacrifice. Pope Francis message for World Mission Sunday 2024:” Let us not forget that every Christian is called to take part in this universal mission by offering his or her own witness to the Gospel in every context, so that the whole Church can continually go forth with her Lord and Master to the “crossroads” of today’s world. The Guidelines sheet during this month will be focused on the Pope's message for World Mission Sunday 2024. The theme proposed by Pope Francis is “GO AND INVITE EVERYONE TO THE BANQUET” (cf Mat 22:9). This is an invitation to live out Jesus’ mission in this present moment. Our Verbum Dei Family of Cebu is willing to go to some places to reach out to others during this month. Our theme “COME, ENJOY THE BANQUET OF THE LORD” is taken from the Pope’ message with the intention of making us aware of the active participation in inviting all to the banquet of the Lord. Matthew 22: 1-14 is the main passage which has been the basis for the message for WMS 2024. Our prayer this week is centered on the Eucharist and its eschatological and missionary dimension. This specific objective is reflected in the second part of the Pope’s message. MONDAY "Mission: An Invitation to Eschatological Banquet" From the message of Pope Francis (World Mission Sunday 2024) “In the parable, the king asks the servants to bring the invitation to his son’s wedding banquet. That banquet is a reflection of the eschatological banquet. It is an image of ultimate salvation in the Kingdom of God, fulfilled even now by the coming of Jesus, the Messiah and Son of God, who has given us life in abundance (cf. Jn 10:10), symbolized by the table set with succulent food and with fine wines, when God will destroy death forever (cf. Is 25:6-8). Christ’s mission has to do with the fullness of time, as he declared at the beginning of his preaching: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand” (Mk 1:15). Christ’s disciples are called to continue this mission of their Lord and Master. Here we think of the teaching of the Second Vatican Council on the eschatological character of the Church’s missionary outreach: “The time for missionary activity extends between the first coming of the Lord and the second…, for the Gospel must be preached to all nations before the Lord shall come (cf. Mk 13:10)” (Ad Gentes, 9)”. Isaiah 25:6-9 Here on Mount Zion the LORD Almighty will prepare a banquet for all the nations of the world — a banquet of the richest food and the finest wine. Here he will suddenly remove the cloud of sorrow that has been hanging over all the nations. The Sovereign LORD will destroy death for ever! He will wipe away the tears from everyone's eyes and take away the disgrace his people have suffered throughout the world. The LORD himself has spoken! When it happens, everyone will say, “He is our God! We have put our trust in him, and he has rescued us. He is the LORD ! We have put our trust in him, and now we are happy and joyful because he has saved us.” John 10:7-10 So Jesus said again, “I am telling you the truth: I am the gate for the sheep. All others who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever comes in by me will be saved; they will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only in order to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come in order that you might have life — life in all its fullness. Matthew 22:1-10 Jesus again used parables in talking to the people. “The Kingdom of heaven is like this. Once there was a king who prepared a wedding feast for his son. He sent his servants to tell the invited guests to come to the feast, but they did not want to come. So he sent other servants with this message for the guests: ‘My feast is ready now; my bullocks and prize calves have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast!’ But the invited guests paid no attention and went about their business: one went to his farm, another to his shop, while others grabbed the servants, beat them, and killed them. The king was very angry; so he sent his soldiers, who killed those murderers and burnt down their city. Then he called his servants and said to them, ‘My wedding feast is ready, but the people I invited did not deserve it. Now go to the main streets and invite to the feast as many people as you find.’ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, good and bad alike; and the wedding hall was filled with people. Jesus through the parable is telling us, "Now, go to the main streets and invite to the feast as many as you find. So, the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, bad and good alike, and the wedding hall was filled with people." (Mt. 20: 9-10) What a beautiful privilege to be called to participate in the mission of the Church to reach out to those who are far from God's Word. The word of God is light nor only for our own path, but for everyone. The eucharist is a tangible memory of Jesus' presence in which we truly receive His humanity and divinity as a strength to preach the Good News. He accompanies us today. It is meant not only for our personal salvation, that's why our mission as disciples is to bear His light into the world to ensure that no one is left behind or excluded from God's Eschatological Banquet.
TUESDAY “Mission is to believe, to preach and live the Gospel” From the message of Pope Francis (WMS 2024) “We know that among the first Christians missionary zeal had a powerful eschatological dimension. They sensed the urgency of the preaching of the Gospel. Today too it is important to maintain this perspective, since it helps us to evangelize with the joy of those who know that “the Lord is near” and with the hope of those who are pressing forward towards the goal, when all of us will be with Christ at his wedding feast in the kingdom of God. While the world sets before us the various “banquets” of consumerism, selfish comfort, the accumulation of wealth and individualism, the Gospel calls everyone to the divine banquet, marked by joy, sharing, justice and fraternity in communion with God and with others” Acts 4:1-29 Peter and John were still speaking to the people when some priests, the officer in charge of the temple guards, and some Sadducees arrived. They were annoyed because the two apostles were teaching the people that Jesus had risen from death, which proved that the dead will rise to life. So they arrested them and put them in jail until the next day, since it was already late. But many who heard the message believed; and the number of men grew to about 5,000. The next day the Jewish leaders, the elders, and the teachers of the Law gathered in Jerusalem. They met with the High Priest Annas and with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and the others who belonged to the High Priest's family. They made the apostles stand before them and asked them, “How did you do this? What power have you got or whose name did you use?” Peter, full of the Holy Spirit, answered them, “Leaders of the people and elders: if we are being questioned today about the good deed done to the lame man and how he was healed, then you should all know, and all the people of Israel should know, that this man stands here before you completely well through the power of the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth — whom you crucified and whom God raised from death. Jesus is the one of whom the scripture says: ‘The stone that you the builders despised turned out to be the most important of all.’ Salvation is to be found through him alone; in all the world there is no one else whom God has given who can save us.” The members of the Council were amazed to see how bold Peter and John were and to learn that they were ordinary men of no education. They realized then that they had been companions of Jesus. But there was nothing that they could say, because they saw the man who had been healed standing there with Peter and John. So they told them to leave the Council room, and then they started discussing among themselves. “What shall we do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone in Jerusalem knows that this extraordinary miracle has been performed by them, and we cannot deny it. But to keep this matter from spreading any further among the people, let us warn these men never again to speak to anyone in the name of Jesus.” So they called them back in and told them that on no condition were they to speak or to teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, “You yourselves judge which is right in God's sight — to obey you or to obey God. For we cannot stop speaking of what we ourselves have seen and heard.” So the Council warned them even more strongly and then set them free. They saw that it was impossible to punish them, because the people were all praising God for what had happened. The man on whom this miracle of healing had been performed was over forty years old. As soon as Peter and John were set free, they returned to their group and told them what the chief priests and the elders had said. When the believers heard it, they all joined together in prayer to God: “Master and Creator of heaven, earth, and sea, and all that is in them! By means of the Holy Spirit you spoke through our ancestor David, your servant, when he said: ‘Why were the Gentiles furious; why did people make their useless plots? The kings of the earth prepared themselves, and the rulers met together against the Lord and his Messiah.’ For indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together in this city with the Gentiles and the people of Israel against Jesus, your holy Servant, whom you made Messiah. They gathered to do everything that you by your power and will had already decided would happen. And now, Lord, take notice of the threats they have made, and allow us, your servants, to speak your message with all boldness. ' 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 And now I want to remind you, my brothers and sisters, of the Good News which I preached to you, which you received, and on which your faith stands firm. That is the gospel, the message that I preached to you. You are saved by the gospel if you hold firmly to it — unless it was for nothing that you believed. I passed on to you what I received, which is of the greatest importance: that Christ died for our sins, as written in the Scriptures; that he was buried and that he was raised to life three days later, as written in the Scriptures; that he appeared to Peter and then to all twelve apostles. Then he appeared to more than 500 of his followers at once, most of whom are still alive, although some have died. Then he appeared to James, and afterwards to all the apostles. Last of all he appeared also to me — even though I am like someone whose birth was abnormal. For I am the least of all the apostles — I do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted God's church. But by God's grace I am what I am, and the grace that he gave me was not without effect. On the contrary, I have worked harder than any of the other apostles, although it was not really my own doing, but God's grace working with me. So then, whether it came from me or from them, this is what we all preach, and this is what you believe. One of the greatest gifts that we receive from God is being a Verbum Dei disciple. Let us thank the Lord for the gift of our discipleship and putting us in this community, the Verbum Dei Missionary community. It is in the formation and guidance given to us that we are molded to live the mission. Apostles Peter and John encourage us today to continue the mission of Jesus in this present time as said in Acts 4:20 " For we cannot stop speaking of what we ourselves have seen and heard." We are again reminded by Jesus of the need to continue the mission he has started. He passed it onto the 12 Apostles and this time, to us. Jesus needs us to tell everyone that our "LIFE" is more than the things this world offers. How good it is to see the trust of Jesus in each one of us and He chose us to be His disciple to preach the Good News. Many people nowadays need to be reminded of 1Co 15:2 that says, "For we are saved by the Gospel if we hold firmly to it." And that is to believe that the presence of the Lord is very near to us through His words in the Gospel. In the message of Pope Francis WMS 2024 says, "For the Gospel calls everyone to receive what is prepared by the Lord which is more than what is offered here on earth”. What the Lord offers is Joy, Justice, Fraternity in communion with God and others. This is heaven while we are still here on earth. This is the Good News that we believe, live out, and preach. As what St Paul says in 1Co15:11"So then whether it came from me or from them, this is what we all preach and this is what we believe."
WEDNESDAY “Eucharist, the source of strength in the Mission” From the message of Pope Francis (WMS 2024) “This fullness of life, which is Christ’s gift, is anticipated even now in the banquet of the Eucharist, which the Church celebrates at the Lord’s command in memory of him. The invitation to the eschatological banquet that we bring to everyone in our mission of evangelization is intrinsically linked to the invitation to the Eucharistic table, where the Lord feeds us with his word and with his Body and Blood. As Benedict XVI taught: “Every Eucharistic celebration sacramentally accomplishes the eschatological gathering of the People of God. For us, the Eucharistic banquet is a real foretaste of the final banquet foretold by the prophets (cf. Is 25:6-9) and described by the New Testament as ‘the marriage-feast of the Lamb’ (Rev 19:9), to be celebrated in the joy of the communion of the saints” (Sacramentum Caritatis, 31)”. 1 Kings 19:1-8 1 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done—that he had murdered all the prophets by the sword. 2 Jezebel then sent a messenger to Elijah and said, “May the gods do this to me and more, if by this time tomorrow I have not done with your life what was done to each of them.” 3 Elijah was afraid and fled for his life, going to Beer-sheba of Judah. He left his servant there 4 and went on a day's journey into the wilderness, until he came to a solitary broom tree and sat beneath it. He prayed for death: “Enough, Lord! Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 He lay down and fell asleep under the solitary broom tree, but suddenly a messenger[b] touched him and said, “Get up and eat!” 6 He looked and there at his head was a hearth cake and a jug of water. After he ate and drank, he lay down again, 7 but the angel of the Lord came back a second time, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat or the journey will be too much for you!” 8 He got up, ate, and drank; then strengthened by that food, he walked forty days and forty nights to the mountain of God, Horeb. John 6:35.53-56 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst. 53 Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. 54 Whoever eats[s] my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Through the Eucharist, we come face to face with Jesus and unite in his body and blood. The Eucharist is the source of all the graces that we need for our lifelong journey in body and spirit. Living life through the ways of this world cannot fill the desire of our soul to be close to God, the source of everything. When we are at our lowest point, our belief in the Eucharist enables us to stand up and face our trials head-on, knowing that through Christ’s body and blood, we are strengthened. We sometimes doubt our capabilities and are easily burdened by hardship, but with Christ who strengthens us, we are more than capable of achieving feats that would otherwise be impossible if we do not look to Him.
THURSDAY “The Eucharist in its missionary dimension” From the message of Pope Francis (WMS 2024) “Consequently, all of us are called to experience more intensely every Eucharist, in all its dimensions, and particularly its eschatological and missionary dimensions. In this regard, I would reiterate that “we cannot approach the Eucharistic table without being drawn into the mission which, beginning in the very heart of God, is meant to reach all people” (Sacramentum Caritatis, 84). The Eucharistic renewal that many local Churches are laudably promoting in the post-Covid era will also be essential for reviving the missionary spirit in each member of the faithful. With how much greater faith and heartfelt enthusiasm should we recite at every Mass: “We proclaim your death, O Lord, and profess your resurrection, until you come again”! Sacramentum Caritatis, 86 (Pope Benedict XVI) “Emphasis on the intrinsic relationship between the Eucharist and mission also leads to a rediscovery of the ultimate content of our proclamation. The more ardent the love for the Eucharist in the hearts of the Christian people, the more clearly will they recognize the goal of all mission: to bring Christ to others. Not just a theory or a way of life inspired by Christ, but the gift of his very person. Anyone who has not shared the truth of love with his brothers and sisters has not yet given enough. The Eucharist, as the sacrament of our salvation, inevitably reminds us of the unicity of Christ and the salvation that he won for us by his blood. The mystery of the Eucharist, believed in and celebrated, demands a constant catechesis on the need for all to engage in a missionary effort centered on the proclamation of Jesus as the one Savior. This will help to avoid a reductive and purely sociological understanding of the vital work of human promotion present in every authentic process of evangelization. 1 John 1:1-3 We write to you about the Word of life, which has existed from the very beginning. We have heard it, and we have seen it with our eyes; yes, we have seen it, and our hands have touched it. When this life became visible, we saw it; so we speak of it and tell you about the eternal life which was with the Father and was made known to us. What we have seen and heard we announce to you also, so that you will join with us in the fellowship that we have with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. Acts 26:16 But get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant. You are to tell others what you have seen of me today and what I will show you in the future. John 4:25-30 The woman said to him, “I know that the Messiah will come, and when he comes, he will tell us everything.” Jesus answered, “I am he, I who am talking with you.” At that moment Jesus' disciples returned, and they were greatly surprised to find him talking with a woman. But none of them said to her, “What do you want?” or asked him, “Why are you talking with her?” Then the woman left her water jar, went back to the town, and said to the people there, “Come and see the man who told me everything I have ever done. Could he be the Messiah?” So they left the town and went to Jesus. The Eucharist is one of the sources of Verbum Dei Spirituality. We vitally connect with Jesus in every Eucharistic celebration, where He empties Himself to us so we will be saved. It is not enough that He suffered and died for us on the cross, rather, He chose to remain with us, to sustain us in the Eucharist. The Eucharist continues to nourish us, to save us. In this regard, we are conscious of the urgency to do the mission to bring this salvation to many. As we continue to encounter the Messiah in the Eucharist, we are reminded to bring others to the same encounter, just like what the Samaritan woman did who announced the good news to everyone: then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” They came out of the town and made their way toward him. Jn 4: 28-30. As in the message of Pope Francis: In this regard, I would reiterate that “we cannot approach the Eucharistic table without being drawn into the mission which, beginning in the very heart of God, is meant to reach all people”. Truly, at the end of every Eucharistic celebration we are reminded to “go and proclaim the gospel” because this is what every Christian must really do.
FRIDAY “Mission: A Renewal of Commitment as Missionaries of Hope” From the message of the Pope (WMS 2024)
“In this year devoted to prayer in preparation for the Jubilee of 2025, I wish to encourage all to deepen their commitment above all to take part in the celebration of Mass and to pray for the Church’s mission of evangelization. In obedience to the Saviour’s command, she does not cease to pray, at every Eucharistic and liturgical celebration, the “Our Father,” with its petition, “Thy kingdom come.” In this way, daily prayer and the Eucharist in particular make us pilgrims and missionaries of hope, journeying towards everlasting life in God, towards the nuptial banquet that God has prepared for all his children”. Luke 11:2 Jesus said to them, “When you pray, say this: ‘Father: May your holy name be honoured; may your Kingdom come. Luke 12:32-34 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the Kingdom. Sell all your belongings and give the money to the poor. Provide for yourselves purses that don't wear out, and save your riches in heaven, where they will never decrease, because no thief can get to them, and no moth can destroy them. For your heart will always be where your riches are. Philippians 3:20-21 We, however, are citizens of heaven, and we eagerly wait for our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven. He will change our weak mortal bodies and make them like his own glorious body, using that power by which he is able to bring all things under his rule. Acts 7:48-50 “But the Most High God does not live in houses built by human hands; as the prophet says: ‘Heaven is my throne, says the Lord, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house would you build for me? Where is the place for me to live in? Did not I myself make all these things?’ 2 Corinthians 5:1 For we know that when this tent we live in — our body here on earth — is torn down, God will have a house in heaven for us to live in, a home he himself has made, which will last for ever. 1 Peter 1:1-9 From Peter, apostle of Jesus Christ — To God's chosen people who live as refugees scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. You were chosen according to the purpose of God the Father and were made a holy people by his Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be purified by his blood. May grace and peace be yours in full measure. Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Because of his great mercy he gave us new life by raising Jesus Christ from death. This fills us with a living hope, and so we look forward to possessing the rich blessings that God keeps for his people. He keeps them for you in heaven, where they cannot decay or spoil or fade away. They are for you, who through faith are kept safe by God's power for the salvation which is ready to be revealed at the end of time. Be glad about this, even though it may now be necessary for you to be sad for a while because of the many kinds of trials you suffer. Their purpose is to prove that your faith is genuine. Even gold, which can be destroyed, is tested by fire; and so your faith, which is much more precious than gold, must also be tested, so that it may endure. Then you will receive praise and glory and honour on the Day when Jesus Christ is revealed. You love him, although you have not seen him, and you believe in him, although you do not now see him. So you rejoice with a great and glorious joy which words cannot express, because you are receiving the salvation of your souls, which is the purpose of your faith in him. 2 Peter 3:13 But we wait for what God has promised: new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness will be at home. Each one of us has an important role in the mission. Pope Francis in his message for the WMS 2024, encourages us to deepen our commitment in attending masses and offering our unceasing prayers for the Church's Mission of Evangelization. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus as He teaches us on how to pray. In Luke 11:2 says, Jesus said to them "when you pray, say this; ' Father may your holy name be honored; May your kingdom come." Today we are again reminded by Jesus that God in heaven is our Father. And we need to hope and believe that His kingdom will come here on earth as promised. That is why we are also reminded by Pope Francis in his message for WMS 2024, that to pray and to always receive the Eucharist are ways that we can deepen and renew our commitment as missionaries of hope in this present time. How beautiful it is if we can show to others the hope we receive from Jesus. For we are to set an example for others on how to look forward with eagerness of the Kingdom of God prepared for us, His children. As in 1 Peter 1:4 says, " and so we look forward to possessing the rich blessings that God keeps for His people. He keeps them for you in heaven, where they cannot decay, or spoil, or fade away." How beautiful it is if we can learn on how to look beyond what is temporary and together we journey towards the nuptial banquet that God has for us. It is our duty to inspire others to hold on to the hope that Christ Jesus has bestowed on us. We can persevere in waiting as in 1 Peter 1:9 says, " But we wait for the new heavens and a new earth where righteousness will be at home."
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About the Guidelines SheetThe Guidelines sheet is a prayer guide with the Word of God to help us journey together and be one in our weekly prayer as one community. This contains daily passages from scriptures together with reflections focused on a common theme and intention for the week. Archives
January 2025
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