Hour of Adoration in Honour of St. Paul the Apostle
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Leader 1: The Lord has destined St. Paul to be our protector, guide and model. He is entrusted with obtaining graces for us and all that we need. We must have recourse to him, and seek to imitate his example in imitating Christ…. Let us be modeled on St. Paul, to reproduce Jesus Christ! –Bl. James Alberione
Leader 2: As we live this Year of St. Paul, let us turn to St Paul for light and support in our task of following Christ and being vessels of his love to others. May Paul's profound experience of Jesus be our experience and so allow us to truly be witnesses of light to the world.
Opening Hymn (Light Theme) during which the Blessed Sacrament is exposed
Leader 1: Let us take a few moments to adore the Lord and ask him to be with us as he was with Paul; to give us hearts that are one with His, like Paul's heart. (Pause for silent adoration)
Let us pray together:
Lord Jesus, you know how much we want to serve you and how we feel impelled by the Spirit to the work of spreading Your Kingdom. You know that often in the course of our service we are assailed by doubts and fears, as well as by our own blindness to your grace, and we wonder if what we are doing is really important, and if we are doing it in the best way. We ask you, Lord, to enlighten us so that in all things we may imitate you and St. Paul, your apostle. Heal our hearts of all that disturbs them and prevents them from understanding the words of the Apostle. You dramatically grasped him with your love and gave him a great responsibility to your Word. Help us to forget our miseries so that we may understand with open hearts the meaning of Paul's life and words and the truths of love and salvation which they hold for us.
–Cf. Martini “Testimony of St. Paul”
Leader 2: Read 2 Cor 11:21-12:10
Leader 1: Read from: Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience, November 8, 2006In St. Paul's letters, after the Name of God which appears more than 500 times, the name most frequently mentioned is Christ's (380 times). Thus, it is important to realize what a deep effect Jesus Christ can have on a person's life; hence, also on our own lives….Looking at Paul, this is how we could formulate the basic question: how does a human being's encounter with Christ occur? And of what does the relationship that stems from it consist?
Paul helps us to understand the absolutely basic and irreplaceable value of faith…. Before his conversion, Paul had not been a man distant from God and from his Law. On the contrary, he had been observant, with an observance faithful to the point of fanaticism. In the light of the encounter with Christ, however, he understood that with this he had sought to build up himself and his own justice, and that with all this justice he had lived for himself.
He realized that a new approach in his life was absolutely essential. And we find this new approach expressed in his words: “The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Gal 2:20).”
Paul, therefore, no longer lives for himself, for his own justice. He lives for Christ and with Christ: in giving of himself, he is no longer seeking and building himself up. This is the new justice, the new orientation given to us by the Lord, given to us by faith.
Time of silent reflection
Leader 1: The whole secret of St. Paul's greatness is in his interior spiritual life. We can say that he won from the inside, from that great spirit of poverty, from that study, from that most profound knowledge, from that zeal, that is, from the love for Jesus Christ…. The more one reads and penetrates the letters of St. Paul and his life, so much the more one loves and enters the true path of sanctity….--Bl. James Alberione
Leader 2: Paul lived his life always looking at his past with grace and blessing. Let us share with Paul our reflection of our past, present and future always looking with peace, serenity and blessing of our Heavenly Father. Let us pray together the Canticle from the Letter to the Ephesians.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.
God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love.
He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us.
With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth.
In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will.
This is so that we, who were the first to set our hope in Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. Glory be to the Father…
Leader 1: Let us take some minutes to reflect on those things for which we are grateful—the blessings and joys, pains and difficulties which help us grow, the love of God in our hearts and the love of our community, family & friends. While aware of our blessings, let us also reflect on our spiritual journeys up until this point in our lives and see how in tune our hearts are with Christ's heart.
Silent time for Examination of Conscience
Leader 2: Paul's greatest testimony is his hymn to love which is a description of relationships. Let us ask him for this greatest of gifts and pray for this for each of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Song (Love Theme) or prayerful reading of 1 Cor 13: 1-13 with some soft music in the background
Leader 1: Those who come close to St. Paul are gradually transformed and learn to live and pray as he did. Those who love St. Paul soon enlarge their heart, becomes generous and broad in their views: St. Paul no longer appears to them as a stern wielder of the sword, but rather as the most ardent and tender lover of Christ…. Tireless walker, founder of churches in the then-known world, inflamer of hearts—this is the figure of St. Paul, whose heart was the heart of Christ. --Bl. James AlberioneLeader 2: Let us ask St. Paul to show us, who are truly blest to serve the Lord, how we may imitate him in centering our lives completely on Christ Jesus. For the following prayer the left side of the church will pray the part in italics and the right side will respond with the words in bold. Then we will all sing the refrain together.
Left side: We turn to you, Paul, who preached so lovingly of God's goodness.
Right side: “How deep are the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How inscrutable his judgments, how unsearchable his ways!”
All Sing Response: Eye has not seen, ear has not heard what God has ready for those who love him. Spirit of love, come give us the mind of Jesus. Teach us the wisdom of God.
L: We turn to you, Paul, who became so immersed in Christ's love.
R: “I have come to rate all as loss in the light of the surpassing knowledge of my Lord Jesus Christ. For his sake I have forfeited everything; I have accounted all else rubbish so that Christ may be my wealth and I may be in him.” All Sing Response
L: We turn to you, Paul, who desired others to share in your joy of knowing Christ.
R: “Be imitators of God as his dear children. Follow the way of love, even as Christ loved you. He gave himself for us as an offering to God, a gift of pleasing fragrance.” All Sing Response
L: We turn to you, Paul, who trusted in the midst of trial.
R: “I firmly trust and anticipate that I shall never be put to shame for my hopes; I have full confidence that now as always Christ will be exalted through me, whether I live or die. For, to me, life means Christ.” All Sing Response
R: This is the Christ we proclaim while we admonish all and teach them in the full measure of wisdom, hoping to make every person complete in Christ. For this I work and struggle impelled by that energy of his which is so powerful a force within me.” (Col. 1:28-29) All Sing Response
Let us conclude our Hour of Adoration by pledging to follow in the footsteps of St Paul, by always keeping our gaze fixed on Christ.
Closing song (based on Paul's writings)
© Daughters of St. Paul, 2008. All rights reserved.