Pope Francis invites the entire Church to reflect on a theme that is decisive for its life and mission: ‘It is precisely this path of synodality which God expects of the Church of the third millennium.’ This journey, which follows in the wake of the Church’s ‘renewal’ proposed by the Second Vatican Council, is both a gift and a task: by journeying together and reflecting together on the journey that has been made, the Church will be able to learn through Her experience which processes can help Her to live communion, to achieve participation, to open Herself to mission.
—For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission Preparatory Document, p. 1
On Sunday 10 October 2021, Pope Francis officially opened the Synod of Bishops with the theme For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission. The following weekend, a period of local consultation was launched in dioceses around the world, inviting all Catholics to take part in an intentional process of mutual listening that will span two years and engage the people of God in a journey of communion, participation and mission. This listening process will culminate in the Synod of Bishops in Rome in October 2023.
Parishes and communities in the Archdiocese of Melbourne are encouraged to visit the regularly updated Synod 2021–2023 page at Melbourne Catholic, to help them prepare and participate in this process.
This page provides a clear overview of the synodal process and instructions on how to participate and make submissions, as well as a range of useful resources, including information from the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, a series of listening and discernment guides for communities and individuals, prayers for the Synod, and a short explanatory video on the theme of synodality.
Particularly useful for parish liturgy teams is a special parish kit prepared by the Diocese of Sale to help groups and parish communities focus on each of the Synod themes: Communion, Participation and Mission. The kit includes two bulletin notices for each week, Scripture reflections, prayers of the faithful, quotes on synodality and PowerPoints for weekly Masses (though to the end of February 2022).
Our God is a God of love and compassion, and he reaches out to all people. Humbled by the many blessings we have received, we lift our hearts in prayer for those in need.
We pray for Pope Francis and all bishops and priests of our Church. May the Holy Spirit strengthen them to draw people to God’s word, which may not always be what they want to hear.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray with St Paul that we might all learn the true qualities of love. May we avoid the shallowness of our modern world’s perception of love and instead embody the loving qualities described by Paul in our lives.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for the blessing of school students and teachers as they embark on a new academic year, and for those who have recently completed their secondary studies. May our school leavers be accepted into their desired tertiary courses or find suitable employment for their talents.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for our parish organisations and groups as they plan their activities for the year. May the parishioners continue supporting them so that our faith community continues to grow and flourish.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for …
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for all who are sick in our parish and for all who have asked for our prayers.
We pray for those who have died recently and for those whose anniversaries we recall at this time. May they share in the peace of eternal life that God has promised to us all.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Gracious God, hear your people in their prayers of petition. May all hearts turn to you as your love continues to shine on us. We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
Jerusalem Bible © 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd and Doubleday & Company Inc.
Jesus began to speak in the synagogue: ‘This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen.’ And he won the approval of all, and they were astonished by the gracious words that came from his lips. They said, ‘This is Joseph’s son, surely?’
But he replied, ‘No doubt you will quote me the saying, “Physician, heal yourself” and tell me, “We have heard all that happened in Capernaum, do the same here in your own countryside.”’
And he went on, ‘I tell you solemnly, no prophet is ever accepted in his own country.
‘There were many widows in Israel, I can assure you, in Elijah’s day, when heaven remained shut for three years and six months and a great famine raged throughout the land, but Elijah was not sent to any one of these: he was sent to a widow at Zarephath, a Sidonian town. And in the prophet Elisha’s time there were many lepers in Israel, but none of these was cured, except the Syrian, Naaman.’
When they heard this everyone in the synagogue was enraged. They sprang to their feet and hustled him out of the town; and they took him up to the brow of the hill their town was built on, intending to throw him down the cliff, but he slipped through the crowd and walked away.
(Luke 4:21–30)
Points of interest and Catholic lore
This text continues from last week’s gospel, in which Jesus announces his mission in his hometown. His mandate is to bring hope to the hopeless and inclusion to the outcast. In today's text, we learn how his mission is received: initial approval, followed quickly by rejection! Jesus points out that God acts unexpectedly, and that his love and care are available to all people, not just to the people of Israel, even though their needs may be great. From the perspective of those in the synagogue, one of their own has dared to challenge their preconceptions, and they vent their disapproval with violence—a violence that will culminate on the cross. Jesus leaves Nazareth and never returns. The remaining action in the Gospel of Luke occurs in Capernaum and on the road to Jerusalem, where the final rejection will come to completion.
Opportunities for group discussion and personal prayer
‘The mission of Christ and the Holy Spirit is brought to completion in the Church’ (CCC, §737). At the heart of the Church’s action in the world is the program that Jesus adopted in the synagogue at Nazareth. Continuing the mission of bringing hope to the hopeless and inclusion to the outcast motivates many agencies of the Church, both locally and globally. All Christians have a role to play in this mission. ‘By living with the mind of Christ, Christians hasten the coming of the reign of God, a kingdom of justice, love and peace’ (CCC, §2046).
This text depicts the first of many rejections that Jesus experienced. The final rejection was, of course, to lead to the cross; however, the cross is not the end of the story, nor is this rejection in Nazareth. Jesus simply slips away and continues on the path he has chosen.
cf. Luke 4:18
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Lord sent me to bring Good News to the poor
and freedom to prisoners.
Alleluia!
Word of God Sunday resource page from the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, including homily notes, liturgical notes, prayers of intercession, musical recommendations, reflections, bulletin notices and banners
Sunday of the Word of God pastoral-liturgical resources for 2022,* from the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization—a comprehensive, 96-page resource, with liturgical guidance and practical suggestions on how we might best hear, cherish and be formed by the Word of God in our communities, families and personal prayer
The ‘Word of God Sunday’ edition of LITed (Liturgy Education News) from Liturgy Brisbane, including a range of relevant articles and resources (some of which are also included in the ACBC suite of resources above)
Parish guide from the Diocese of Broken Bay to help communities celebrate the Sunday of the Word of God—prepared for 2021 but containing many still-relevant ideas and resources, including a short YouTube clip that can be used to inspire deeper engagement with the Word
Pope Francis’ Angelus address for the Sunday of the Word of God, 23 January 2022
Pope Francis’ apostolic letter Aperuit Illis (2019), instituting the Sunday of the Word of God
Note on the Sunday of the Word of God from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (2020)
*Note that the Lectionary texts featured in this resource are for the third Sunday of Ordinary Time (when Word of God Sunday is celebrated in most countries), rather than for the fifth Sunday, which is when it is celebrated in Australia.
God has reconciled us through Jesus Christ. We implore God today to show mercy, healing and forgiveness to all who are in need.
We pray for Pope Francis and all Church leaders. May they show the way of a Church that is a welcoming community, teaching us how to forgive and how to be forgiven.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for families where there is discord and animosity. May they be reconciled with each other and be blessed by God’s love.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We continue to pray for Project Compassion this Lenten season. May the efforts and sacrifices people make strengthen their awareness so that they can better respond to the needs of the poor.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for our faith community. May we pause and examine our own lives in the light of Jesus’ teaching in today’s gospel.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for …
Lord hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for the sick of our parish and for all who have asked us for our prayers.
We pray for all who have died recently and for all whose anniversaries occur at this time. May they be raised to eternal life in Christ.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Merciful Father, we come to you with repentant hearts. Hear the prayers we have brought to you today. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
‘I am the Alpha and the Omega’ says the Lord God. With confidence, let us call on the King of Kings, who graciously accompanies us from beginning to end.
We pray for Pope Francis and all the bishops of the church. May the Holy Spirit inspire them to look after and tend God’s people.
Lord hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for civil and political leaders. May they accept their responsibility to serve all those under their leadership with honesty and justice.
Lord hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for all those in our society who care for the sick, the hungry and the homeless. May they be graced to continue their work and to encourage more people to come to the aid of those in need.
Lord hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
As we come to the end of the liturgical year, we pray with gratitude for all the faithful who have worked to preserve the spirit of our communities through the challenges of the past year. May our churches once again be places of communal prayer as we celebrate the Eucharist together.
Lord hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for the sick of our parish and all those who have asked for our prayers. We pray for those who have died recently and for those whose anniversaries occur at this time. May they be welcomed into the heavenly kingdom.
Lord hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
God of glory and majesty, truly your decrees are to be trusted. Hear our prayers for your people everywhere. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Daniel 7:13–14
I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man.
Psalm 92(93):1–2, 5
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
Apocalypse 1:5–8
Jesus Christ has made us a line of kings and priests.
Mark 11:9, 10
Blessed is he who inherits the kingdom of David our Father; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
John 18:33–37
Yes, I am a king.
In the local Church, first place should certainly be given, because of its significance, to the Mass at which the Bishop presides, surrounded by his Presbyterate, Deacons, and lay ministers, and in which the holy People of God participate fully and actively, for it is there that the principal manifestation of the Church is found.
General Instruction of the Roman Missal, §112
When the holy people of God gather to celebrate Mass with their bishop, they give witness to the fullness of the Church. We are a community of the faithful who are served by the pastoral leadership of the bishop, usually through the ministry of the local clergy. It is not always possible for the bishop to celebrate with parishes. When it is possible, the attendance and full participation of all the parish community in the celebration is especially significant.
‘How worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and divinity, and wisdom and strength and honour. To him belong glory and power for ever and ever.’
entrance antiphon
In the readings … God speaks to his people, opening up to them the mystery of redemption and salvation, and offering spiritual nourishment; and Christ himself is present through his word in the midst of the faithful.
—General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 2011, § 55
A reader (sometimes called a ‘lector’ or ‘minister of God’s word’) is the person who proclaims the first or second reading during the Liturgy of the Word. The ministry of the Church requires a person who is of good character and serious about the practice of their faith. Readers who believe that sacred Scripture is the word of God and have respect for God’s presence in that word will help to convey these beliefs to the congregation. The reader has an appreciation that he or she is proclaiming God’s word and that when this word is read with clarity, sincerity and conviction, it has the power to touch lives and change hearts. The Liturgy of the Word is one of the two principal parts of the Mass. Just as the assembly is fed at the table of the Eucharist with the Body and Blood of Christ, so it is fed at the table of the Word with the words of God in Christ, who is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). The word of God is like water to the thirsty soul. Therefore, the quality of the reader’s proclamation determines whether his or her service will help or hinder the assembly in its listening and faith response to God’s word.
Although a specific form of dress is not required of readers, the dignity and noble simplicity of the sacred liturgy requires that those accepting the call to such a ministry dress in a manner that reflects the profound nature of the call. Dress that draws undue attention to the reader rather than the Word proclaimed should be avoided.
The Liturgy of the Word is to be celebrated in such a way as to favour meditation, and so any kind of haste such as hinders recollection is clearly to be avoided. In the course of it, brief periods of silence are also appropriate, accommodated to the assembled congregation; by means of these, under the action of the Holy Spirit, the word of God may be grasped by the heart and a response through prayer may be prepared. It may be appropriate to observe such periods of silence, for example, before the Liturgy of the Word itself begins, after the First and Second Readings, and lastly at the conclusion of the Homily.
—GIRM, § 56
After the opening prayer has been completed, the reader moves towards the sanctuary, reverences the altar (and the presiding celebrant if he is a bishop) by making a profound bow (from the waist) and then goes to the lectern for the first reading.
Wait for the assembly to settle, then, making eye contact, confidently announce the reading with ‘A reading from …’ Do not change this formula in any way. For example, do not begin ‘Our first reading today is …’ or with any similar beginning. And do not read the short heading to the reading (printed in italics).
Particular significance is to be given to a period of silence after reading the word of God before stating ‘The word of the Lord’. If the responsorial psalm is being sung by a cantor at the lectern or led by a psalmist from another microphone, the reader should move away from the lectern to a seat close by so that the congregation can focus on the cantor or psalmist. The musical introduction to the psalm should wait for this movement to occur and thereby create a momentary pause for silent reflection.
The response to the psalm links the readings and is a key to the Liturgy of the Word. In a few simple words, it helps to summarise the meaning of the readings. Ideally, the psalm is led by the cantor, either from the lectern or from another location at the front of the assembly, in order to lead their response. When not sung, the psalm after the reading is to be recited in a manner conducive to meditation on the word of God (Lectionary for Mass: Introduction, § 22). Do not say, ‘Responsorial psalm’ or ‘The response to the psalm is …’ Instead, look at the congregation and announce the response with confidence. Do not say ‘response’ at the end of each verse. As you read the last line of the verse, lower your tone and look up at the congregation.
The second reading is proclaimed at the lectern and follows the same pattern as the first reading.
In the readings, the table of God’s word is prepared for the faithful, and the riches of the Bible are opened to them.
—Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 1963, § 51
A period of silence is to be observed before the singing of the gospel acclamation. This is often led by a cantor from a microphone separate from the lectern to facilitate the procession of the gospel book from the altar to the lectern.
Everlasting God,
—from Book of Blessings, 1989
when he read in the synagogue at Nazareth,
your Son proclaimed the good news of salvation
for which he would give up his life.
Bless all readers.
As they proclaim your words of life,
strengthen their faith
that they may read with conviction and boldness,
and put into practice what they read.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Gracious God,
—from Celebrations of Installation and Recognition, 2005
source of all light and all goodness,
you sent your Son, your living Word,
to reveal to humanity the mystery of your love.
Look with mercy on all who are preparing
to proclaim your word and to lead your people
closer to your teaching.
Bless them in their service
so that they may be nourished by your word,
be transformed by it and faithfully announce it
to their brothers and sisters in your Church.
We praise and thank you, Father,
in the name of Jesus your Son,
and in the love of your Holy Spirit,
God of glory for ever and ever.
Amen.
The prayers of blessing for readers are adapted from the Book of Blessings, Catholic Book Publishing Co., New York, 1989, p. 777 and from Celebrations of Installation and Recognition, CCCB, Ottawa, 2005, p. 94.
Break Open the Word: The book for readers. Liturgy Brisbane, Brisbane, published annually.
Cameron, Michael, Corinna Laughlin, Virginia Meagher and Paul Turner, Guide for Lectors and Readers, 2nd edn, Liturgy Training Publications, Chicago, 2021.
Lectionary for Mass: Introduction (1981), in The Liturgy Documents: A parish resource, vol. 1, 5th edn, Liturgy Training Publications, Chicago, 2012.
Powerful Points for Liturgical Ministers, CD-ROM, Liturgy Brisbane, Brisbane, 2007.
Rosser, Aelred, Proclaiming the Word: Formation for readers in the liturgy, DVD (40 mins), Liturgy Training Publications, Chicago, n.d.
Wallace, James, The Ministry of Lectors, 2nd edn, Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN, 2017.
Keeping the Lord ever in our sight, let us remain steadfast in our faith, boldly offering our prayers for God’s people and for our world.
We pray for Pope Francis and all the bishops of the church. May their teaching and example awaken us to the reality of God’s abiding love.
Lord hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for civil leaders. May they practise true servant leadership, humbly directing their public service to the wellbeing of the communities they represent.
Lord hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who strive to earn a living, and particularly those whose businesses or livelihoods have suffered as a result of the recent restrictions. May they find satisfying, productive work, and may they be rewarded for their efforts and respected in the workplace.
Lord hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for all those priests who have retired or moved to new parishes during the recent time of restrictions. We ask for God’s blessings on them as they embark on the next stage of their ministries in these challenging circumstances.
Lord hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for the sick and lonely of our parish and for all who have asked for our prayers. We pray for those who have died recently and for all whose anniversaries occur at this time. May they share the rewards of their love, and rest in peace, enjoying the merits of their labours.
Lord hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
God of love and mercy, you show us the path of life, and the fullness of joy in your presence. May we always be confident to voice our concerns and our needs before you, through Christ our Lord.
Amen.