Opening Prayer – Solemnity of Peter and Paul
Heavenly Father,
Open us up so we may let you in.
Give us the grace we need to be opened.
Once we are opened allow us to seek you.
Save us from our humanness and
help us to always be faithful!

Journal/Reflection Questions
Acts 12:1-11
• How has God used an Angel to free you like the Angel helped Peter?
• Are you open to letting God use you as an Angel to help free another from what binds them? What do you need to do to be ready?
• What chains bind you in your physical, emotional, spiritual life?
2Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18
• Are you in need of rescue in your life from some bondage? What gives you hope that you will be rescued?
• How can you relate to Peter and Paul’s situation? When have you experienced need of God’s saving grace?
Matthew 16:13-19
• Who do you say Jesus is? How do you describe Him? What words would describe who He is to/for you?
• What can you learn from this exchange? What is Jesus truly asking? Does He ask the same for you? How do you respond?

General Questions for Journaling
• What is the price of discipleship? How do you count the cost? How is it measured?
• Do you take risks to be a follower/disciple of Christ?
• Is there something in your life which you are passionate about? Passionate enough about it that you are willing to risk everything for it?
• Are there things you sacrifice or give up in order to live out your faith to the fullest? What is the result of this sacrifice?
• Have you ever felt like God was pouring his love upon you? Describe that feeling, where you were and who you might have been with.
• What qualities do Peter and Paul posses which you believe should be duplicated in your life?
• Are there people in your life whom you care what they think about you? Who are those people and what weight do they carry in forming you?
• What can you learn from Jesus on whose opinion counts?
• How do you know a message is from God? How do you recognize it?

Closing Prayer
Leader: When we get distracted by the “things” of the world.
ALL: Show us the way!
Leader: When we let our human desires keep our focus.
ALL: Show us the way!
Leader: When our faith is weak and we have no strength.
ALL: Lead us Lord! Give us the eyes, heart and mind to seek YOU to lead our paths and show us the way!

Challenge for the Week: On a scale of 1-10, how close would you say you are to God right now? Take time this week to write down specific feelings and degrees of closeness for each number between 1 and 10. Spend time each evening thinking about the events of your day and determine an average for the day. Reflect on the specific times when you felt closer to God and when you felt further away. Consider the “trends” of what you were doing and who you were with when you were closer or further away from God. Make an action plan to duplicate the things which caused you to be closer to God.

Opening Prayer – Most Holy Body & Blood
Lord you are the bread of life.
You are the manna sent from heaven.
The one who fills us, nourishes us, sustains us.
Without you we would be empty.

Journal/Reflection Questions
Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14b-16a
• One cannot live on bread alone. How does this apply to your life right now? What is the “bread” you live on?
• What is the symbolism of the “hunger”? How do you experience hunger in your life?
1 Corinthians 10:16-17
• When you receive the Body and Blood of Christ at communion, you become a living tabernacle. How do others see Christ in you?
• One cannot live on bread alone, when we receive communion, we must also be transformed by the Word. What
John 6:51-58
• The sacrifice made by Jesus on the cross is the foundation of the Eucharist. What do you sacrifice when you come to altar to receive Christ’s Body and Blood?
• What does God provide you in order to continue on the path to discipleship? What more do you need on your journey of faith? Pray to God for these things and the help to continue on.

General Questions for Journaling
• What can you learn about trusting God from these readings? What do you need to change in your life in order to trust God more completely?
• Have you had desert experiences in your life? Can you look back and see God “feeding” you in those times? What carried you out of the desert place? Are you still in one?
• What does it mean to have “blind trust”? Have you experienced this? What was the situation? Was easy or difficult?
• What are the emotions, feelings associated with hunger? How are they different than the emotions, feelings of being satisfied?
• It is said you are what you eat so it only makes sense that when you make good food choices you feel better about yourself. What are some bad food choices you make which you can pray for the strength to change; not only for better health but also stronger spirit?
• Is the food God gave to the people in the desert different or the same as what He offers to you?
• The word Eucharist means Thanksgiving. Reflect on how our Sunday celebration is like the holiday.
• How does God nourish you? What specific food does He give to you to feast on?

Closing Prayer
ALL: Bless us O Lord
and these thy gifts
which we are about to receive
from thy bounty
through Christ Our Lord
AMEN

Challenge for the Week: We cannot thrive in our faith if we are only consuming the tangible (bread). The scripture is telling us that we must also “feed” off of the Word. In the Catholic Church when we celebrate Mass we participate in the Liturgy of the Word (reading the scripture) and Liturgy of the Eucharist (celebrating the body and blood of Jesus). When we listen to the Word or read the Word, we are encountering the living God and should show the Scripture as much reverence as we do when we come to communion to receive the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist. There are several ways to get connected to the scripture on a daily basis, either in a daily prayer book, signing up to have verse sent to you via email or with a phone app which gives you daily readings or a verse of the day. If you already do one or more of these great; if not, I challenge you do get connected. Then don’t just read the verse of the day but pray it, meditate on it, allow it to marinate your soul. Then you will know what it means to be filled AND satisfied!

Opening Prayer – Holy Trinity
Creator God,
you fill the world with all things good.
Savior God,
you came to earth to live among us and die for our salvation.
Spirit God,
You dwell in us so we are forever with you.
Blessed Trinity, help us be more aware of your presence in our lives!

Journal/Reflection Questions
Exodus 34:4b-6, 8-9
• What does God reveal about His character in this scripture?
• Describe God’s love. What does it look like? Feel like? Sound like?
2 Corinthians 13:11-13
• What do you learn about God in this scripture? About Jesus? About the Holy Spirit?
• How does this reading suggest we live our everyday lives? Is it impossible to live in this way? Why or why not?
John 3:16-18
• “For God so loved the world”, speaks of sacrifice. Do you sacrifice things for your faith? For a relationship with God?
• Do you sacrifice for love? Whom in your life do you love enough to sacrifice things for? Do you sacrifice freely or with expectation?

General Questions for Journaling
• God looks past our faults to love us…what do we need to look past to love another?
• What do you hold a grudge against? How can you begin to let love into that situation?
• Moses asked God to pardon our sins…what do you have a hard time pardoning? Are there things of this world which are hard for you to forgive?
• How does the grace of Jesus come upon you? What is the recipe for this to happen?
• How do you experience peace? Is there a place where you find peace? Is it a location or a state of mind? How do you reach it?
• Do you know a peaceful person? What qualities do they have that you would like to cultivate?
• Are we called to agree and get along with everyone, all of the time?
• What would you say are the “core” things we all should agree upon to make this world a better place?

Closing Prayer
ALL:
Father,
you sent your Word
to bring us truth
and your Spirit to make us holy.
Through them we come to know
the mystery of your life.
Help us to worship you,
one God in three Persons,
by proclaiming and living our faith in you.
We ask you this, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
one God, true and living, forever and ever.

Challenge for the Week: Do you know someone you would describe as an encourager? What makes them so? Do they encourage you or others too? Make a point this week to encourage someone new each day. It may be helpful to take time to reflect on some of the people you see weekly and consider what you might do or say to encourage them. Consider people you don’t see on a regular basis who might need some encouragement and write them a note, email or make a phone call. Also, spend time thinking about those people in your life who have been and still are encouragers to you. Do they know how much their support means to you and how it has affected your life? Take time to let them know how you feel and who they are a gift to your life.

Opening Prayer – Pentecost
Come Holy Spirit
Breathe in us
Fill our hearts
Dwell in our soul
Ignite our path
Send us out on fire!

Journal/Reflection Questions
Acts 2:1-11
• Where is the Holy Spirit driving you? How do you open yourself up to the mission you are called to in your life?
• What is changed about the apostles after they are visited in the upper room? What can we take from this experience? Imagine yourself there…how does it change your perspective?
Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13
• Each person is given a different gift of the Holy Spirit. Can you identify the gift(s) you have been given?
• Consider…God will judge upon how we use the gift(s) you were given, not on the gift(s) you wish you had. All gifts are equal in the eyes of God. Let go of any jealousy you might cling to because someone else has a gift you would like to possess.
John 20:19-23
• In the Old Testament, God “breathed” His breath into Adam. What significance does this word have here in this reading? What is the correlation between the two scriptures?
• When Jesus returned to the disciples, his first words were “peace be with you”. One cannot find peace within without the help of the Holy Spirit. Seek the Spirit and you will find peace. What do the disciples do to begin their journey of finding peace? How are they an example to us on how to live with the Holy Spirit?

General Questions for Journaling
• Have you ever felt the Holy Spirit? Where was it? Did you feel it inside of you? Did you see it working around you?
• Jesus said He didn’t leave us alone; He sent an Advocate, a Comforter. How do you know you are not alone?
• What can you do to build a closer relationship with the Holy Spirit?
• What action steps are needed for you to let the Spirit into your life and help you be filled?
• What excuses do you make to keep the Holy Spirit from entering into your being? What obstacles stand in your way of a meaningful relationship with the Holy Spirit?
• What qualities of the Holy Spirit do you possess? What qualities of the Holy Spirit would you like to fill you?
• In Galatians 5, St Paul tells us what it means to “live in the Spirit”, what can you do to cultivate these qualities in your life?
• How do you communicate the faith with others? What language do you speak with your words and actions?

Closing Prayer
Leader: We see but we cannot see.
ALL: Holy Spirit come…open our eyes!
Leader: We hear but we cannot hear.
ALL: Holy Spirit come…open our ears!
Leader: We feel but we cannot feel.
ALL: Holy Spirit come…open our hearts!

Challenge for the Week: The celebration of Pentecost is also known as the Birthday of the Church; it is when we received the Holy Spirit and were sent to celebrate the Gospel. The secular world “bought into” the Church celebrations of Christmas and Easter but Pentecost is just as important as those two holidays. Think about it, without Pentecost, where would Christians be today? Make plans to celebrate Pentecost this week. Wear something red, check out a book about the Holy Spirit from the library (there are many of them), make a birthday cake, call a friend who is filled with the Spirit and makes you feel alive! OR you could plan to do some random acts of kindness this week and live out the phrase, “they will know they are Christians by their love”!