Celebration Sunday for Meri Hōhepa Suzanne Aubert

Celebration Sunday 6 October, is set aside to commemorate and celebrate the life, spirituality, and good works of Venerable Meri Hōhepa - Suzanne Aubert. This special day enables the people of Aotearoa New Zealand to continue to learn about this amazing woman of our time. This year it will be on 6 October.

Her spirit lives on today in the work of the Sisters of Compassion. They are engaged in social work, pastoral care, prison and hospital chaplaincies, education, working with refugee and disadvantaged migrant communities, residential and home care of the sick and the elderly and support of people developing home gardens.

We are invited to reflect on Meri Hōhepa’s words:

‘Let my actions be a continual prayer and speak to you of my love’
‘Mā aku mahi ka rangona tonutia ngā karakia me taku aroha ki ā koe’.

How does this quote speak to you?

How might your actions speak of Christ’s love?

Consider how your actions today could be a continual prayer.

At our Masses on the 27th Sunday of Ordinary time, we join with the Sisters of Compassion and the people of this land to pray that our actions will be a continual prayer that speak of Christ’s love for all.

Kia īnoi tatou, Let us pray:

God of compassion and love, may the example of the life of

Venerable Meri Hōhepa Suzanne Aubert guide us in our lives with all tenderness.

May our actions reflect your love O Lord,

May we show your love in our eyes,

May your truth be on our lips,

May we welcome the lost and lonely,

May we feed the poor and hungry,

May we shelter the homeless in our society.

Loving God, may we give freely with true generosity, and may we look upon ourselves with kindness and compassion too, and understand your abounding and infinite love for us.

We ask this prayer through Christ Our Lord.

 Amen.

Readings 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The readings for Sunday 6th October speak of right relationship, love, showing compassion in difficult times, and putting tender kindness into action, in our relationships, families, and communities.

Genesis 2: 7a, 8b, 18-24
‘This one, at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh, this one shall be called ‘woman’.

Psalm 128: 1-6
‘May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.’

Hebrews 2:9-11
Christ was made perfect through suffering so that we might all be consecrated.

Alleluia verse: 1 John 4:12
‘If we love one another, God remains in us and his love is brought to perfection in us.’

Gospel: Mark 10:2-16
‘What God has joined, no human must separate.’

On Celebration Sunday there are several resources you might include in your liturgy including:

Prayer of the Faithful

E te Atua o te Aroha me te Pūaroha – God of Love and Compassion

On this Celebration Sunday, we remember the life of Suzanne Aubert Meri Hōhepa

and the way she put tender kindness into action.

We pray that her example of love-in-action, compassion in difficult times,

generosity of spirit, advocacy for the poor and reliance on God’s love,

will continue to inspire the people of Aotearoa New Zealand.

E te Ariki – whakarongo mai rā ki a mātou.

Click on the link to download a slide of this Prayer of the Faithful  HERE

To locate other resources click HERE