Home prayer service: 1st week of Lent

Lenten meditations from Bishop Jacobs, Legatus’ International Chaplain . . .

Dear Legatus members and your families,

As we enter into this holy time of the Church year, Lent and the Easter Season, I would like to share the attached Home Prayer Service for recitation during the Weeks of Lent.  I offer these prayerful considerations to encourage the inclusion of family prayer in the Lenten Season.  May Our Crucified Lord draw you closer to Himself and may you come to know Him more intimately through these brief dialogues.

Yours in Christ,

+ Bishop Samuel Jacobs
Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux
International Chaplain, Legatus

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Leader: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

All: Amen.

Leader: We have begun our annual Lenten journey with Jesus to the cross and resurrection. Our focus this week will be on the struggle with temptations, which may lead to sin. In preparation to hear the Word of God, let us take a moment of silence and recall areas of sin in our life. (Pause) Lord Jesus, you encountered temptations in your life and remained faithful to the Father, Lord, Have mercy.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Leader: Christ Jesus, you were led by the Holy Spirit to confront the strongholds of sin, Christ, have mercy.

All: Christ, have mercy.

Leader: Lord Jesus, you came to be a pattern for us as we confront our sins, Lord, have mercy.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Leader: Let us attentively listen to the Word of God from the Gospel of Luke, as Jesus teaches us how we are to respond to temptations.

Reader:

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.'” Then he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant. The devil said to him, “I shall give to you all this power and their glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I may give it to whomever I wish. All this will be yours, if you worship me.” Jesus said to him in reply, “It is written: ‘You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve.'” Then he led him to Jerusalem, made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ and: ‘With their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.'” Jesus said to him in reply, “It also says, ‘You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.'” When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time. (Pause) The Gospel of the Lord.

All: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Leader: Let us take a few moments to reflect on this word (Pause)

What does Jesus teach us about responding to temptations? (Pause) He was in love with the Father in his humanity and was filled with the Holy Spirit. How often do we turn our attention to the Father and invoke the help of the Holy Spirit in times of temptations? (Pause) Sometimes we have tried to fight temptations on our own and not with the strength promised by God. (Pause) We now bring our own intentions before the Lord who walks with us during the Lenten journey. For the grace to keep our eyes on the Father and to invoke the strength of the Holy Spirit in times of temptations, we pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Leader: For each of us that we may provide the support and love needed by others to make a successful journey with Jesus to the cross and resurrection. We pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Leader: In the silent of our hearts we add our own personal intentions (Pause) We pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Leader: Lord Jesus, we thank you for being one like us in all things but sin. You experienced many temptations in your life. You showed us how to overcome these struggles by keeping your eyes on the Father, whom you loved and who loved you. You invoked the strength of the Holy Spirit who was with and within you. Help us during this Lent to imitate your response. We ask this in your name, Christ Jesus our Lord.

All: Amen.

Leader: Be alert to temptations this week and look how you respond. Let us share a sign of peace with one another.