4th Sunday of Lent

 

Opening Prayer

Heavenly Father,

You gave yourself to us through Jesus.

You came to be one of us so we could know you better.

You taught us, you healed us, you brought us new life!

Even after Jesus’ death we are not left abandoned or orphaned;

for we have YOUR Spirit here, moving, guiding.

God, YOU are in all things, at all times.

May we forever seek YOU!

Journal/Reflection Questions

2Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23

• Do you believe God sends messengers now?
• In the Old Testament we hear God sent messengers “early and often” to His people. In the Gospels we learn about Jesus, God himself who came to share God’s plan for His people.  Then in the New Testament the Holy Spirit is left to dwell in and among His people.  How are the messengers of the Old Testament the same and how do they differ from the Holy Spirit?

 

Ephesians 2:4-10

• How is grace received? Where does it come from?  What is its purpose?
• Reflect on the phrase, “dead to our transgressions”. This word is also in the Our Father prayer.  How hard or easy is it for you to live this out?

 

John 3:14-21

• Do you recall the story of Moses and the serpent? Reflect on how these scriptures relate.
• Why do you think of all of the scripture passages, John 3:16 is the most commonly known and memorized verses?

 

General Questions for Journaling

• Are you open to receiving messages from God? Are there obstacles which keep them from coming through to you?
• Has God given you a message but you are unsure how to pursue it? Afraid you don’t have the strength to accomplish it?  Do you fear ridicule or abandonment of family or friends?
• Consider what your fear says about your faith in God and how it affects your relationship.
• How do you define grace? Is it a noun?  A verb?  An adjective?
• Could God be talking to you and you simply are not listening?
• Share an example of a time when you think God might have spoken to you but you ignored the message…what happened?
• Describe a time when you think you heard God speak to you and you stayed faithful to the request…what happened?
• Create a list of “good” things that happen in the dark, what needs darkness to live or survive?
• Are you ever or have you ever completely in the dark? Describe what it is like?

Closing Prayer

Leader:  When there is darkness, YOU send the light.

ALL:  The God of heaven and earth; create us anew!

Leader:  When we are hurt, YOU bring healing.

ALL:  The God of heaven and earth; create us anew!

Leader:  When we feel alone, YOU offer comfort.

ALL:  The God of heaven and earth; create us anew!

Leader:  When we sin against you, there is grace and mercy.

ALL:  The God of heaven and earth; create us anew!

Challenge for the Week:   The Sacrament of Reconciliation just may be one of the most misunderstood traditions/practices of the Catholic Church; not only among non-Catholics but within the circles of practicing Catholics too. Many wonder WHY we need to tell someone our sins especially when we don’t even want to think about them ourselves.  This kind of thinking simply keeps us from the grace we can receive through the Sacrament.  The word Sacrament comes from the Latin word sacramentum meaning “a sign of the sacred.”  The word Reconciliation also comes from a Latin word, reconciliationem which means to “re-establish”.  Toss in the definition of the word “of” and we learn that at the core, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is “a sign of the sacred coming from re-establishment”.  The “sign of the sacred” is the one on one personal encounter with Christ (represented by the Priest to whom you confess) you have when you confess your sins and ask God for forgiveness; the Priest then lays his hands over you calling down the grace by which your sins will be absolved.  As humans we kid ourselves into thinking God doesn’t already know the sins we have committed, we may even think HE would NEVER forgive us!  There is nowhere in the Bible that says God is incapable of putting us back together if we get broken or become lost.  It is through the Sacrament of Reconciliation that God’s grace re-establishes our relationship with Him.  Some might say that “God already knows your sins so why do we need to confess?” but again when you look at the definition we realize it requires action on our part.  When we just tell God our sin, we haven’t really taken responsibility for the sin; we haven’t been given our penance.  This piece only comes when one receives the Sacrament, when they encounter God through the sacred sign.  Then and only then do we receive the grace we need to be healed.  Embrace the opportunity to go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  During Lent there are additional offerings of the Sacrament so if you don’t want to confess to your own parish priest, you can always attend a service at another parish.  If it has been a while since you have been, there are generally prayer aids provided by the parish to help you.  God’ grace is waiting to be poured on YOU!!!