LENT PRAYER MATERIAL 2016

L’ARCHE INTERNATIONAL – ENCOUNTERS OF FORGIVENESS

WEEK 6

13 – 19 March

Encountering Forgiveness – Father forgive them ….

(Prepared byPatricia Paludiand the whole community El Arca, Buenos Aires, Argentina)

‘Hands Hold’,

Terry Hochschild, L’Arche Atlanta

BIBLE READING

Luke 23: 32 - 34

Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him.

When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.

Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”

And they cast lots to divide his clothing.

REFLECTION by Ruth Patterson

There were three crosses on that hill outside Jerusalem where criminals were put to death. Jesus was crucified between two thieves. It was a busy place, this Golgotha. Roman soldiers, curious spectators, those who had come to taunt and jeer, and somewhere in that seething mass of humanity, his mother with two other women and, perhaps, one or two of his disciples. Amid all the noise, the shouts, the ridicule, the soldiers throwing dice, the groans of dying men, what was significant was the silence from the centre cross. Isolated, mocked, in spiritual and physical anguish, his only company the two criminals crucified on either side of him, Jesus, with a supreme act of will, chose to break his silence and pray for those who put him there. The prayer was one of forgiveness, “Father, forgive these people because they don’t know what they’re doing.”

Having read these words recorded by Luke, you might like to think about the following:

  • Why didn’t they know what they were doing? Surely they should have known? Surely they could see that this man who was now dying a slow and agonizing death was different, that he was holy, that the words he had spoken were full of wisdom and compassion, that the miracles he performed could only have happened because God was with him? Were the powers that be really that blind?
  • Perhaps the only one who knew what he was doing was that lone figure on the central cross. And perhaps he prayed “Father forgive” because at that precise moment in his total, anguished humanity, he could not actually do it himself. But his whole being was bent towards mercy.
  • The Father heard the cry of his beloved. From his heart and from that figure on the cross, a tidal wave of mercy flowed, encompassing all those who were there. It had an extraordinary effect! The crowds, who such a short time before, were taunting him went home in deep sorrow. The captain of the Roman soldiers handling the executions, in sudden recognition, declared Jesus to be the Son of God. A dying thief was welcomed into paradise. That tidal wave has never stopped flowing down through the centuries to this present day.
  • Mercy is the heart-beat of forgiveness.

REFLECTION

Experience of reconciliation in our community

“Community as a place of forgiveness and celebration” – very wise words from Jean Vanier.

A few years ago, our home was going through a time of considerable growth and day by day the framework of the community was being woven together.

One day, one of the young people, who is very disturbed because of his background and his dreams which are difficult to fulfil, confronted the community with an immense challenge.

The way his behaviour manifested itself created a difficult atmosphere, which was tiring and painful, and we were incapable of understanding it in that situation. Following a deep discernment, the decision was taken to separate him from the life of the home for a while, but not from the community.

At the time there was a space available outside of the home where he went to live, accompanied by other people.

Initially some people did not understand this decision, it was difficult to absorb this deep down in our hearts, and various opinions surfaced, which were all valid; "keep him away when he needs the community the most?”, “he will be worse off on his own" or “will it help...?" “Can the community not give him shelter?” And other voices.... “It’s for the best, to avoid danger and risks to others”, “how will we look after the others?” And the rhythm of community life became the rhythm of the beating heart....

One night, an unforgettable one for many, after the hustle and bustle of the day and weary of our day-to-day work, we gathered together around the “pain” that unites us, feeling a need to bolster one another, be together and share our own feelings and desires in relation to the decision that had been taken. The marvellous thing about that night was saying how much we loved this young man and describing all that he brought to the community. Each of us spoke more of love than of fear, more of forgiveness than of judgement and more of unity than of separation.... The following day we invited the young man to say how he was feeling and each of us could tell him what he/she wanted to and how important he was in our lives. The look of that young man was disconcerting, nobody was judging him or challenging him, he did not have to do penance, nothing like that..... The decision had been taken, but the deepest look of everyone had changed….

One night around prayer time, one of his companions gave him a cross, which was blessed and then brought to his new bedroom, and as a gesture each member took something from his bedroom and in a procession they all brought one of his belongings to his new place. The young man knew that he was moving away in a physical sense, because he needed to, but he was closer to the hearts of all of us...

Drawing by Ariel, a core member at our workshop, El Arca Argentina

Ariel drew a person asking God for forgiveness and a blind person so that by helping the blind person he can be reconciled with himself

ACTIVITY for the week:

We suggest beginning by reading this extract from a reflection by Father Mamerto Menapace on God’s forgiveness:

... Faith assures us that God has a heart which is so great and beautiful and which is so rich in mercy that actually each time that we sincerely ask for his forgiveness, he allows himself to be convinced, is very happy and truly forgives us. This is just like a mum who forgives her son when he apologises after repeating the same prank a hundred times. Not one, not two or seven: but seventy times seven, or whenever necessary. Because a mother’s heart is like this. And where does she get this from? Who gave it to her? Surely it was God.

It is said that each of us is linked to God by a thread. A cord that links us to Him. Sin cuts this cord and as a result my relationship with God is broken. This sin broke my relationship, my connection and link to God. If I recognise my mistake and ask for forgiveness, God takes hold of the two ends of the cord and ties a knot. And by doing this the cord becomes shorter. I am closer to God. And when it breaks again, He forgives and ties a knot once more. Some people may end up very close to God through all the knots that have been tied.

Now imagine a cord with so many knots, to which God keeps tying more knots. In the end this person will be close to the very heart of God.
That is why Jesus says that sinners are the ones closest to the Father in the Heavens.

The greatness of a person lies not so much in what they possess, but in the amount of Grace and Mercy that God has bestowed upon them.

The more he has pardoned us, the closer he feels that we are to his heart and, for this, he loves us more.

Father Mamerto has been a Benedictine monk in the Santa María de Los Toldos Monastery, in the town of Los Toldos - Buenos Aires Province, since 1952.

He is a writer of stories, poems, biblical essays, accounts and reflections. Using a language that is simple and suited to his audience, he inspires people to encounter God and grow in their faith.

  • Let’s act out what we have read….
  • Two people connected by a thread: one representing God and the other, one of his children. They both look at one another and smile.
  • The child turns his/her back on God.
  • Someone cuts the thread with scissors.
  • They stop smiling.
  • The one who turned his/her back, repents and turns to face God again who never stopped looking at him/her.
  • God takes both ends of the cut thread and makes a knot to tie them together again, both look at one another and smile.
  • We note that the cord is getting shorter and the child is closer to God…
  • After a while the child once again turns his/her back on God and the thread is cut again in a different place.
  • He/she repents again, turns around to face God and God ties together the two knots of the thread, both are happy.
  • How many times? As many times as needed and always noting that with each knot, the thread becomes shorter and the child is closer to God.

Our faults cut the link with God, but His forgiveness and His merciful love bring us even closer to Him than we were before...

PRAYERS – a suggested format:

  • Say the Our Father together
  • Read Luke 23: 32 - 34
  • Have a time of silence
  • Take time to reflect on any of the material offered above
  • Prayer: (This is the same prayer every week except for the second line. Maybe you could learn to sign it. One person could say and sign each line, and then everyone else repeat with the same signing).

Jesus, help us to see others as you see them – with love and compassion.

Help us to show love, even in times of pain.

Help us to be able to welcome those who are different from us, those we find it difficult to like.

And thank you that you love us, just as we are, today and every day.

Amen.

  • The L’Arche Prayer
  • Appropriate songs if wished.

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