Holy Hour of Thanksgiving for our Silver Jubilee of presence in Dublin.

The following is a guided holy hour prepared in occasion of our silver jubilee of presence in Dublin, celebrated this year. The Holy Hour follows the method of prayer given to our Pauline Family by Blessed James Alberione- to honour Jesus as Way, Truth and Life.

Song: Open the eyes of my heart, I want to see You, I want to see You (x2)
To see You high and lifted up, shining in the light of Your glory
Pour out Your power and love, as we sing holy, holy, holy

Guide: We pray before Jesus as we behold the mystery of the God who became flesh out of love for us. We gather here to pray and spend time with the Lord, in silence, in prayer and in song. Each of us have a different story but tonight Jesus has united us in mind and in heart just as He did with the early Christian communities. In  Acts of the Apostles we read: ‘they were all of one mind and one body’. This evening we let our hearts enter into communion with the Lord Jesus and with our brothers and sisters. Let us open up to the power of God’s word and to his presence in our lives as we simply let ourselves ‘be’ in his presence and be loved by Him and see the marvels that He does in our lives. As we celebrate the milestone of 25 years here in this place, we are conscious that these gifts that have come to us through the labour and the dedication of so many people, of sisters and friends who have gone before us, and of the people who went before them, people - who despite the flaws they undoubtedly had, served God as best as they could and now we continue to reap the inheritance of their goodness and love.

SONG: Only in God is my soul at rest, in Him comes my salvation
He only is my Rock, my strength and my salvation
My stronghold my Saviour, I shall not be afraid at all
My stronghold my Saviour, I shall not be moved
Only in God is found safety, when my enemy pursues me
Only in God is found glory when I am found meek and found lowly

Let us pray: “Your dream, O master, is to lay hold of me with your divine life. Your dream is to purify me, to recreate me, to make me a new person, in your image. Your dream is to fill me with your charity, to make me love the Father and all my brothers and sisters just as you do. Your dream is to bind me to you, to make me strong , so that I can overcome evil and be constant in doing good. Your dream is to enflame me with an untiring zeal to spread Your kingdom in this world. Your dream is to possess me in this life and in the life to come. O master, may your dream come true. May I be able to give all you ask of me. AMEN.” (Blessed James Alberione)

Gospel acclamation: Sing Alleluia to the Lord (x3) Jesus is Risen from the dead (x3)

SONG: All who are thirsty, all who are weak, come to the fountain,
dip your heart in the stream of life. Let the pain and the sorrow be washed away in the waves of his mercy, as deep cries out to deep.
Come Lord Jesus, come (x2), Holy Spirit, come (x2)

GUIDE: We contemplate Jesus as our Way, our Model. Basing ourselves on the reflections we have heard, we too ponder God’s action in our life, thank Him for the wonders He has worked and ask His forgiveness where we have failed to respond to His grace. We can ask ourselves these questions: How is Jesus calling me to follow Him more closely?  What do I need to change - in my attitudes, actions and desires - so that I can become like Him? Try to imagine what Jesus would do in your place. How can you draw closer to the Father? With great trust let us ask Jesus to act powerfully in our life so that we can truly imitate Him. In Jesus Life, we contemplate His love for the Father, for all humanity and for ourselves. We allow prayers of petition, but also of praise and contemplation of God’s goodness, to rise from our hearts.

SONG: Be still for he is here, his presence is moving among us (x2). Jesus (x4), Father (x4), Spirit (x4).

Pope Francis in his apostolic exhortation ‘Joy of the Gospel’ writes: “We are not called to accomplish epic feats or to proclaim high-sounding words, but to give witness to the joy that arises from the certainty of knowing we are loved, from the confidence that we are saved.” The ‘epic feat’ which we are called to live each day is simple, it is fidelity to the gift received. The life of each one is an ongoing story of grace upon grace. To stay with Christ requires us to share our lives, our choices, the obedience of faith, the happiness of poverty, the radicality of love. Since we are witnesses of a communion beyond our vision and our limits, we are called to wear God’s smile and live joyfully. The world awaits this from us and the world deserves this from us. To seek the Lord and find him in our lives also means accepting his word, which is joy for our hearts.

 REFLECTION:  If we had a fraction of the faith in you that you have in us then this world would be transformed, Lord. If we showed a fraction of the love that you show to us then this world would be transformed, Lord. If we possessed a fraction of the patience that you display with us then this world would be transformed, Lord.

If we shared just a portion of the blessings that we have received from you then this world would be transformed, Lord. If we showed as much trust in others as you have shown in us then this world would be transformed, Lord. If we claimed just a fraction of the power you promised to your Church then this world would be transformed, Lord. Transform us first, Lord, that we might transform this world through your love and your power.

Let us pray together:

Lord make me an instrument of your love,

Where the darkness of loneliness reigns, let me bring the light of friendship.

Where the darkness of bitterness reigns, let me bring the light of forgiveness.

Where the darkness of hurt reigns, let me bring the light of healing.

Where the darkness of discord reigns, let me bring the light of harmony.

Where the darkness of sadness reigns, let me bring the light of joy.

Where the darkness of despair reigns, let me bring the light of hope.

And where the darkness of hatred reigns, let me bring the light of love. AMEN.

SONG: Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks to the Holy One. Give thanks because he’s given, Jesus Christ his Son (x2)
And now let the weak say I am strong, let the poor say I am rich because of what the Lord had done for us (x2), give thanks.