Be more: Be aware
Overview
The Be More prayers is a series of seven prayers that focus on ways in which we might engage in the mission of Jesus. The series of prayers are inspired by the words of St Oscar Romero "Aspire not to have more but to be more" and they draw on resources from Caritas Australia.
The prayer is intended for use with staff groups in a Catholic school community but can be easily adapted to other contexts.
Each prayer resource in the series comes in PDF format and contains:
an introductory note for the prayer leader
detailed directions for the prayer experience
a biographical sheet about one of the Be More heroes
a prayer sheet handout that can be reproduced for all participants.
Each of the prayers in the series follows a common structure of:
Gather - Listen - Respond - Go Forth
Creating the space:
Where possible, arrange chairs in a circle or semi-circle around a prayer focus point. Try to create different heights in your prayer focus – even if you conceal a book or box under your cloth to create a different height. Items to incorporate in your prayer focus:
- Red, green and yellow cloths
- Three PrayerFire candles labelled ‘Head’, ‘Heart’ and ‘Hands’ (+ matches to light the candles)
- Bible – open at Luke chapter 7 (a book stand or small easel is ideal to display the Bible) Cross or crucifix
- Be More sign
- Symbol for this week: polished stones (scattered around the prayer space; enough for more than one per person.)
You will also need:
- Some reflective music and the means to play it.
- Copies of the prayer outline for readers.
- Copies of the prayer handout for the group.
- Copies of the Be More Bio of Dom Helder Camara (p. 2) - download from Caritas.org.au
Gather
- Welcome, introduction & preparation to pray
- Lighting of candles - 3 candle lighters
- Opening Prayer
Listen
- Introduction
- Gospel reading - -1 reader
- Gospel reflection - Leader or another reader
- Gospel repeat - 1 reader
Respond
- Be More bio
- Stone reflection
Go Forth
NB: Sections identified as ‘Leader’ may be divided amongst different people but it is helpful to have a recognisable leader of the prayer.
The structure and ideas included are just suggestions. Please feel free to modify or add to the wording to make the experience more personal and relevant for your staff. Adding your own touches will not only make the experience more enriching for you personally, but also for the rest of your group.
Approximate time required: 20 mins
Be Aware: Prayer
We Gather
The leader welcomes those present and acknowledges the gift of coming together in prayer.
Leader: Our prayer today continues (or begins) our focus on ways in which we might engage in the mission of Jesus, calling us to Be More. In today’s prayer we are called to Be Aware – to pay attention to what is occurring in our midst; to recognise Jesus in every single person we encounter; and to be alert to God’s call in our lives.
Let’s start by being aware of our purpose in gathering … that we come together in prayer … let’s take a moment to simply be aware of our breathing and be aware of consciously slowing down and preparing ourselves to pray.
(Ring a chime or bell then pause for two minutes of silence. Ring the chime again to end the silence)
And so, let’s be aware as we make this sign of the Cross and be aware that we gather …
All: In the name of the Father, + and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Candle lighter 1: As we gather here in your name, Open our minds to know your voice. (light ‘head’ candle)
Candle lighter 2: Open our hands to do your work. (light ‘hands’ candle)
Candle lighter 3: And open our hearts to hold your Spirit. (light ‘heart’ candle)
Leader: Let us pray.
All: God of insight and awareness,
You know your people’s needs even before we can voice them.
Help us to be more like you as we seek to be aware of those around us.
Give us your wisdom to see to the heart of a matter.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, the compassionate one. Amen
We Listen
Leader: Jesus himself gives us an extraordinary example of being aware of those around us. Several times in the gospels, Jesus picks a lone person from the crowd because he is aware of the needs of the individual. Recall his encounter with Zacchaeus, calling him down from the tree; recall his reaction to the woman with a haemorrhage, sensing her need when a throng of people pressed around him.
Let’s listen now to the story of Jesus raising from the dead the son of the widow of Nain.
(Luke 7:11-17)
Reader 1: A reading from the Gospel according to Luke.
He went to a town called Nain,
accompanied by his disciples and a great number of people.
Now, when he was near the gate of the town
there was a man who had died being carried out.
He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow.
A considerable number of the townspeople was with her.
When the Lord saw her he had compassion for her
and said to her, 'Don't cry.'
Then he went up and touched the bier and the bearers stood still,
and he said, 'Young man, I tell you: get up.'
And the dead man sat up and began to talk,
and Jesus gave him to his mother.
Everyone was filled with awe and glorified God, saying,
'A great prophet has risen up among us; God has visited his people.'
And this view of him spread throughout Judaea and all over the countryside.
(pause…)
This is the gospel, the good news of the Lord.
All: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
Leader: When we hear this gospel story, we might immediately think that Jesus was being aware of the widow’s grief and, taking pity on her, decided to give her son back to her. But, like all gospel stories, there’s more going on beneath the surface.
We must remember that widows and orphans held a very special place in God’s heart. God had commanded that the whole community was responsible for the well-being of widows, orphans and strangers in the land. In the gospel story, when we see that there is a large crowd of townspeople with the widow, we might assume they were there to mourn with her. But, another interpretation is that they were there to drive her from the town.
As a widow, whose only son had died, the woman had no means of support and was a liability on the community. It was not uncommon for such people to be cast outside the town walls.
It’s not coincidence that the encounter takes place at the town’s gate. In scripture the image of a gate is frequently used to indicate who’s ‘in’ and who’s ‘out’.
When Jesus sees this scene, he sees not only the woman’s grief; he sees the status of outcast that is inevitably being forced upon her. When he returns the woman’s son to his mother, he also returns to her dignity, respect and even her own life.
Now that’s really being aware!
Let’s listen to the passage a second time, but this time perhaps we might hear it with a different awareness.
Reader 2: A reading from the Gospel according to Luke.
He went to a town called Nain,
accompanied by his disciples and a great number of people.
Now, when he was near the gate of the town
there was a man who had died being carried out.
He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow.
A considerable number of the townspeople was with her.
When the Lord saw her he had compassion for her and said to her, 'Don't cry.'
Then he went up and touched the bier and the bearers stood still,
and he said, 'Young man, I tell you: get up.'
And the dead man sat up and began to talk,
and Jesus gave him to his mother.
Everyone was filled with awe and glorified God, saying,
'A great prophet has risen up among us; God has visited his people.'
And this view of him spread throughout Judaea and all over the countryside.
(pause…)
This is the gospel, the good news of the Lord.
All: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
We Respond
Leader: You each have a copy of the Be More Bio for Dom Helder Camara – a man who was acutely aware of injustice that flows from structures in society and political structures.
Take a few moments to read the bio and reflect on the suggestions of ways in which you can ‘Be More’.
(Play some quiet music and allow time for group to read and reflect.)
Leader: The widow of Nain was trapped in a social structure of injustice. The intervention of Jesus cut through that injustice and restored her dignity.
I invite you to take a stone from our prayer space and spend a moment in quiet, thinking of someone you know who is caught in a situation of injustice – experiencing unfairness weekly or daily.
(Play some quiet music as people come forward to take a stone and then sit in reflection.)
During this week, I ask you to either carry that stone with you or position it in a place that will make you think about it frequently throughout the week. The stone is to be a reminder to you throughout the week of the injustice people live with on a daily basis; injustice that goes beyond irritation; injustice that saps their life. The stone is to be a reminder of God’s call to each of us to be aware of what is happening around us and to even be aware of the injustice that we at times perpetrate.
We will bring our stones - and perhaps their stories - back to our prayer time next week.
We Go Forth
Leader: Let’s bring all our thoughts together now and place them before God in prayer.
All: God of the widows, the orphans and the strangers in the land,
You hold a special place in your love
for those who are bound by injustice.
Open our eyes;
Open our ears;
And open our hearts to the plight of those you love.
Call us forward to be aware of those we hurt through thoughtless action.
We place this prayer before you through Jesus,
the one who is always aware.
Amen.
Leader: And let’s turn to the person beside us and pray our blessing prayer over one another.
All: As we go about our day, O God;
As we strive to walk with Jesus as people of insight.
Remind us that we are the awareness of Christ,
Who is with us always.
May your grace, mercy and peace,
Bless us, keep us and transform us all this day,
Now and forever. Amen.