The latest update by Fr John O’Keefe CM in the series of Lay Led Liturgy Services with a Reflection for each Sunday based on the Lectionary Readings for the current Year, and Prayers of the Faithful is now available online at the Australian site of the COngregation of the MIssion.
This series of Lay Led Liturgies is designed mainly for people in outback areas where the people have no Prayer Bookz or Lectionaries. But they may help people everywhere and people are free to use them as they see fit. One important thing to be kept in mind is that these service liturgies are designed to help the local community in running their weekly liturgy. Therefore, each local community should feel free to adapt the liturgy for themselves.
Two Readings been chosen for each liturgy, the first one being from the Old Testament usually, and the second from the Gospel of the day. I have chosen the Old Testament Reading because the Old Testament was the only Sacred Scripture Jesus knew. It was from the Old Testament mainly that Jesus learnt something of God and something of God’s purposes in this world of ours. It was the Old Testament that helped to make Jesus the person he was, and they can help us in the same way.
The Prayers of Intercession are very general, and every local community should be free to include prayers for the needs of their own community.
Those who use these liturgies are encouraged to add graphics and adapt the layout to suit the needs of their local community. I urge everyone to make them prayerful experiences for all present. Do not go too fast, but make sure that everyone hears, understands, and is able to reflect upon all that is said and done.
