Spirituality Resources

Be Refreshed In The Lord

INTRODUCTION
Countless voices today entice the human heart with the promise of happiness and fulfillment. We have only to reflect on the many and varied TV commercials that carry the message—you will be happier, more successful, more beautiful if only you will buy this product, take this vacation, drive this car, eat this food, and so on. Experience has taught most of us that these enticements, on the contrary, often become the very source of our burdens, our anxieties, our frustrations.

The voice of the Lord speaks to us of happiness, not through the accumulation of material goods, but rather through our daily living out of the Gospel call to love as we are loved; to be beatitude people for today's world, to heed the Lord's call to "Come and find rest."

CALL TO PRAYER

LEADER: Let us pray.

ALL: In the name of the Father, who calls us to life,
In the name of the Son, who calls us to follow,
In the name of the Spirit, who calls us to respond,
We offer praise and thanks. Amen.

SCRIPTURE READING: Matthew 11:25-30

LITANY

LEADER: Your Word, 0 Lord, offers life-giving water to the thirsty.

ALL: Come to me, all who are thirsty, and I will give you drink.

LEADER: Your Word, 0 Lord, offers the bread of life to all who are hungry.

ALL: Come to me, all who are hungry and I will give you food.

LEADER: Your Word, 0 Lord, offers comfort and rest to all who are heavily burdened.

ALL: Come to me, and I will give you rest.

REFLECTIVE LISTENING
Suggested songs:
"Come to the Water" by John Foley, S.J.
"Come to Me" by Gregory Norbet, O.S.B.

RITUAL
A suggested ritual might be to have each person place a small coin on a tray on the prayer table, symbolic of refusing to seek their
happiness by the accumulation of material goods.

JOURNALING
The accumulation of material things is something many of us have to deal with in our day-to-day living. Possessions may be
hindering us from being at peace. The Lord says for us to bring our burdens to him, that he might give us rest. In response to our prayerful reflections today, ponder some of the ways in which you feel burdened. Take time to name them and offer them to God in prayer, asking for God’s healing power and blessing. As a further reflection, recall a time when you lived out a particular Beatitude. Try to express the deep sense of happiness that was yours through that experience.

Lord, I feel burdened by . . .

Suggested Scripture readings for further reflection:
Matthew 5:3-12
Romans 5:1-5

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