Sabado Nights: Tips for Rituals

Sabado Nights: Tips for Rituals
(Since Saturdays in formation houses are usually set aside for community recollections, I hope the Saturday edition of this blog, which focuses on formative rituals, provides some help for the formators in seeking creative formative interventions. Rituals, though a post-modern approach, allow the formands to experience a particular movement or transition, thus a very effective tool to end a processing or a spiritual experience.)

Community Reconciliation Ritual

This ritual can be adapted by substituting your own prayers and by using other Scripture readings. It can be used at the end of a recollection especially during lent. Community members are encouraged to take on the various roles of leader, reader, etc.

Leader:

God became a human being in Jesus Christ. Jesus came, died and rose from the dead to reconcile us with God so that, reconciled with others, we might be welcomed into the kingdom of heaven.

(Pause while someone lights a candle.)

And so we pray in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

May this burning candle remind us that, by the light of Christ, God forgives our sins and our failings. God loves us with the faithfulness of a mother, the tender mercy of a father. We are called to forgive those who hurt us, even when they did not intend it. We come together to pray for the grace we need to ask for forgiveness or to grant forgiveness.

(Allow a moment of silence for members to reflect on their need to be forgiven or to forgive, or to pray for members in need of reconciliation.)

Oh God, you have bound us together in a common life. Help us to lovingly confront one another without hatred or bitterness, and to live together with mutual love and respect. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Reader #1

Suggested reading: The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-9)

Leader:

What of us needs to ask forgiveness?

(Every one takes turn to state clearly why he or she seek forgiveness. After everyone is finished asking for and granting forgiveness, move on to the intercessions. Also, if the one who is to grant forgiveness is not ready to do so, remind the person of the responsibility to let the petitioner know when he or she wishes to do so.)

Intercessions

Reader #2
Let us respond, "Teach us to be merciful, Lord."

• Almighty God, show us your kindness, we pray...
  
• Jesus, you ate with sinners and comforted the brokenhearted, we pray...
  
• Holy Spirit, you console our troubled spirits, we pray...
  
• For what else shall we pray?

(Allow a few minutes for additional intercessions.)

Let us pray together that God will give us what we need in order to live like Jesus.

Our Father...

Leader (or Reader #3)

God our loving Creator, the earth, the moon and the stars show the splendor of your glory. You created us to show the splendor of your love. In our baptism, you granted us the splendor of your forgiveness. May we continue to grow in the image and likeness of your son, Jesus, our brother, for ever and ever. Amen.

As a sign of our ongoing commitment to one another, let us exchange some sign of peace.

(source: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops)