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Writing in the new Pastoral Plan for the Diocese "The Word Who is Life: The Call to Mission" (7.4), Bishop Richard asks that every parish provides times of Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, leading to monthly Holy Hours. To support this, the diocesan Formation team is providing regular resources - including suggested scripture readings and intentions. The resources for January can be found below:
The solemnity of the Lord’s birth (Christmas), celebrates the mystery of the Incarnation, by which the Word of God humbled himself to share in our humanity, in order that he might enable us to become sharers in his divinity.
During the Christmas season we also celebrate the first manifestations of Christ: the Epiphany, his baptism in the Jordan, and the wedding feast at Cana (on the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C). The Epiphany celebrates in the child born of Mary the manifestation of the one who is the Son of God, the Messiah of the Jewish people, and a light to the nations.
At the beginning of Ordinary Time, the story of Jesus’ life and preaching unfolds in the Gospels, including the first events in which he manifests himself.
Something which has existed since the beginning,
that we have heard, that we have seen with our own eyes;
that we have watched and touched with our hands:
the Word, Who is Life – this is our subject. [1 John 1:1]
Thus says the Lord: As the rain and the snow come down from the heavens and
do not return without watering the earth, making it yield and giving growth to provide seed for the sower and bread for the eating, so the word that goes from
my mouth does not return to me empty, without carrying out my will and succeeding in what it was sent to do. [Isaiah 55:10-11]
In the course of his preaching John the Baptist said: ‘Someone is following me, someone who is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to kneel down and undo the strap of his sandals. I have baptised you with water, but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.’ It was at this time that Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptised in the Jordan by John. No sooner had he come up out of the water than he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit, like a dove, descending on him. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on you.’ [Mark 1:7-11]
Samuel was lying in the sanctuary of the Lord, where the ark of God was, when the Lord called, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ He answered, ‘Here I am.’ Then he ran to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, since you called me.’ Eli said, ‘I did not call. Go back and lie down.’ So he went and lay down. Once again the Lord called, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, since you called me.’ He replied, ‘I did not call you, my son; go back and lie down.’ Samuel had as yet no knowledge of the Lord and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. Once again the Lord called, the third time. He got up and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, since you called me.’ Eli then understood that it was the Lord who was calling the boy, and he said to Samuel, ‘Go and lie down, and if someone calls say, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The Lord then came and stood by, calling as he had done before, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ Samuel answered, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’ Samuel grew up and the Lord was with him and let no word of his fall to the ground. [1 Samuel 3:3-10. 19]
As John stood with two of his disciples, Jesus passed, and John stared hard at him and said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God.’ Hearing this, the two disciples followed Jesus. Jesus turned round, saw them following and said, ‘What do you want?’ They answered, ‘Rabbi,’ – which means Teacher – ‘where do you live?’ ‘Come and see’ he replied; so they went and saw where he lived, and stayed with him the rest of that day. One of these two who became followers of Jesus after hearing what John had said was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. Early next morning, Andrew met his brother and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ – which means the Christ – and he took Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked hard at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John; you are to be called Cephas’ – meaning Rock. [John 1:35-42]
After John had been arrested, Jesus went into Galilee. There he proclaimed the Good News from God. ‘The time has come’ he said ‘and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent, and believe the Good News.’ As he was walking along by the Sea of Galilee he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net in the lake – for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you into fishers of men.’ And at once they left their nets and followed him. Going on a little further, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they too were in their boat, mending their nets. He called them at once and, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the men he employed, they went after him. [Mark 1:14-20]
Lord, the Word who is Life.
May all the people of our Diocese
grow in openness to the power of the Holy Spirit,
so that through a growth in understanding and courage, and truly open to your call,
we may bear powerful witness to all around us,
for you are Lord for ever and ever. Amen.
The Formation team will shortly be providing basic guidelines to help set up lay-led times of Adoration for those communities that would like to join the call to prayerful support of the Diocese. For enquiries about this initiative, please contact our Spirituality Adviser, John Harman; E: Jon.harman@abdiocese.org.uk.
Scripture excerpts from The Jerusalem Bible, © 1966 by Darton Longman & Todd Ltd and Doubleday and Company Ltd.
