14^th Sunday of Ordinary Time

 

Opening Prayer

Father

You knew it would be hard for us

You knew we would face challenges

You knew the choices would be difficult

But you show us mercy,

You give us forgiveness

And your grace gives us peace!

 

Journal/Reflection Questions

Isaiah 66:10-14c

• Where do you see God rejoicing today?
• How does the imagery of a mother’s love hold true for you? Where might it fall short?  Is there a better image for God to use to describe His love?

 Galatians 6:14-18

• Where do you see this scripture lived out today? In your family?  In your community?  In your church?  Are there places where indifference isn’t an issue?
• What bites and devours you?

 Luke 10:1-12, 17-20 or 10:1-9

• How are we similar to lambs? Identify the wolves.
• What is the harvest Jesus is speaking of in this scripture? Why are the laborers few?
• How do you see yourself in this scripture?

 

General Questions for Journaling

• Describe your connection to your church, parish or place of worship. What is your connection to the community?  What need(s) does the community meet in your life?
• Do you believe the church holds the same purpose it did when they first began to form? Why or why not?  What is the same or different?
• Has God’s love for His people changed over time or does it remain the same? Does God love you as He did Adam & Eve?  King David?  Mary, Mother of Jesus?  Jesus?
• What laws of the world are non-negotiable? Why are they so?
• Where do you see influences of the world and the laws of people in your household?
• Where do you see influences of Jesus in your household?
• How is peace achieved in your life? How often do you achieve resting in peace?
• Where do you see mercy shown? What can you do show mercy to others more regularly?  Are there opportunities which you sidestep?
• How do you welcome others? Share a specific situation.
• Where do you share peace? To whom do you give peace?  From whom do you receive peace?  How can you have it more abundantly?

 

Closing Prayer

Leader:  Fill our hearts with love and compassion

ALL:  so we might bring comfort to a child.

Leader:  Fill our hearts with love and compassion

 ALL:  so we might see where our help is needed.

Leader:  Fill our hearts with love and compassion

 ALL:  so we might trust you more.

Leader:  Fill our hearts with love and compassion

ALL:  so we might show love more deeply.

Leader:  Fill our hearts with love and compassion

ALL:  so we might open our arms to others.

Leader:  Fill our hearts with love and compassion

ALL:  so we know we know we are enough!

 

Challenge for the Week:  Saint Paul in the second reading notes how the people are arguing over the laws of circumcision.  He is telling them it doesn’t matter…Jesus came to save us all.  Are people still taking sides on issues today?  Of course!  Make a list of all of some of them; are any of them keeping you from seeing your neighbor as Christ calls us to see them?  Have we treated another with neglect, disregard or judged them based on the stand they take on a specific issue or law?  There are many in our world today.  Think about some of the laws in the US, consider the different laws in the different places of worship, perhaps even differences as families blend in how holidays are celebrated as traditions clash.  Paul is not saying, don’t have an opinion.  He is telling us that it is not what should get us boastful, rather the love of God and the sacrifice of Jesus should be what we shout about.  How will you live out this scripture passage in the coming days, weeks, months?  Make a commitment for a specific change to see how it affects you and those around you.

13^th Sunday of Ordinary Time

 

Opening Prayer

Lord

May I lay my head down

each day knowing I’ve pleased you.

May I unpack my burdens

so I can rest in your presence.

Let me follow in your path

of goodness and mercy

Lead me Lord to do all I can today!

 

Journal/Reflection Questions

1 Kings 19:16b, 19-21

• God tells Elijah to go to Elisha and to teach him. How does God urge you to go to others to teach them?
• Elisha is ready to go and serve God, but what does he do first? What does this say about his character?

 Galatians 5:1, 13-18

• What does Saint Paul mean that we were called to freedom? How?
• What bites and devours you?
• How do you differentiate “flesh” wants/needs and “spirit” wants/needs?

 Luke 9:51-62

• When Jesus travelled, He didn’t know where He would sleep each night. Could you travel like this?  Why or why not?
• Have you ever had to rely on the hospitality of another? What do you need to be able to do in order to be a good guest?  What qualities are needed to be a good host?  How do you rate in each category?
• Jesus simply walked away when He and His disciples were not welcomed; the disciples wanted retribution. How does Jesus respond?  Is it an easy example to follow?  What can you do to help make it more simple like Jesus did?

General Questions for Journaling

• God seeks us where we are to do His work; where has he found you lately? What is He asking you to do?
• The prophets and apostles are often found out working when God calls. Make a list of the prophets whom God commissioned and what they were doing when He called.
• Could you go away and leave behind your work, your family to do the work of God? Why or why not?  What conditions would you need in order to do so?
• Have you been chosen to be a mentor to someone? Name the qualities they saw in you which caused them to choose you.
• Do you have or have you ever had a mentor? What qualities drew you to them?  What did you learn from them?
• Can you love fully? What allows you to do so?  What keeps you from doing so?
• Are there people you have trouble showing love to? Why or why not?
• Would you say you have too much, too little or just the right amount of “stuff”? What could you live without?

 

Closing Prayer

Leader:  Lord, YOU are my refuge,

ALL:  my security when I am going through a storm.

Leader:  Spirit, YOU are my counselor,

 ALL:  the one I go to when I’m facing a tough decision.

Leader:  Jesus, YOU are my savior,

ALL:  paving the road before me, I know I’m not alone.

Leader:  Father, YOU are my joy,

ALL:  I’m overwhelmed by all you’ve created for me to love.

 

Challenge for the Week:  Summer is a time for family and friends to gather together, to take a long weekend or even a week or two of vacation away from the “normal”.  Summer calls each of us to recognize what it is we value and to cherish it.  Reflect on how God is giving you time to spend with those you love; how are you spending it?  When you take time away from your “routine” do you have time to rest in God?  Summer is full of opportunity for each of us to touch God and share His love with others!

12^th Sunday of Ordinary Time

 

 Opening Prayer

Jesus

In the time you spent her on earth,

you opened your heart to each person you met.

May we learn how to open ourselves to others

and may we attempt to look at others with an open heart.

Then we will be able to know the true person

and not the person we see through a judgmental lens.

Who do you say I am?  I want to be the person YOU see Lord!

 

Journal/Reflection Questions

Zechariah 12:10-11; 13:1

• What image does Zechariah paint in this scripture? What feelings are evoked when you hear these words?
• What can be concluded about loss in this scripture? Does it bring comfort?  Why or why not?

 Galatians 3:26-29

• Are you accepting to all people? What are your limitations?
• How is the world/How are people divided today? Is it any different than in Jesus day?  What can you do to not have a divided heart?

 Luke 9:18-24

• Does Jesus ask to test the apostles or is His human nature getting the best of Him and He is curious about what others think of Him?
• Draw a cross and write in all of your burdens, worries, sins, guilt, things you think make you inadequate and any other negative thing that occupies your thoughts. Then take a black permanent marker and fill the cross in.  Put the cross in your bible or someplace you will see it and be reminded how Jesus wipes all of those things away!

 

General Questions for Journaling

• How might one be pierced? Consider the literal piercing of the body but also how words or actions might pierce.
• Can you find hope in loss? Is it hard to find?  Can someone give it to you or must you find it on your own?
• How does grief blind you?
• Do you know the sound of the shepherd’s voice? How do you distinguish it from others?
• Is there a sacred place you go to talk to God? Where you hear Him more clearly?  Where is it?  What makes it sacred?
• Would you say you let others define you with labels such as mother, daughter, sister, nurse, doctor, crippled, arrogant, bossy, creative, good cook, bad cook, etc? What are the labels?
• Are you defined by the job you do? What might be an example of a person defined by their job?
• Do you know people who are define by their job or people who define their job? What is the difference?
• If Jesus’ job was “teacher” what qualities did He possess that made Him a good teacher?
• If Jesus’ job was “healer” what qualities did He possess that made Him a good healer?
• What would you say was Jesus’ job while on earth?

 

Closing Prayer

Leader:  Let me be the person YOU see, Lord…

ALL:  full of grace and purity.

Leader:  Let me be the person YOU see, Lord…

ALL:  my sins and guilt washed away.

Leader:  Let me be the person YOU see, Lord…

 ALL:  accepting each person as Christ.

Leader:  Let me be the person YOU see, Lord…

ALL:  overflowing with living water.

Leader:  Let me be the person YOU see, Lord…

ALL:  scales wiped from my eyes.

 Leader:  Let me be the person YOU see, Lord…

 ALL:  following YOUR voice in my life!

 

Challenge for the Week:  When Jesus asks the Apostles, He isn’t looking for verification, He already knows who He is but wants to know if the Apostles know Jesus as they should.  This is a question for all of us…do we know Jesus as well as we should?  Do we KNOW Jesus or do we only know stories about Jesus, parables He told, people He healed, miracles He performed?  If Jesus asked you the question, would your words describe him from the stories you’ve read in the Bible or from real life experiences?  How might those descriptions be different?

OR

Who do you say you are?  How do you define yourself?  Where do you look for verification of who you are?  Who are the people you trust to tell you the truth about who you are?  Your spouse?  Your parents?  Your kids?  Your co-workers?  Your friends?  Would they all say the same thing about you?  Who does Jesus say that you are?  Are there contradictions to who Jesus says you are and what others say about who you are?  Make a decision to make a change.

11^th Sunday of Ordinary Time

 

Opening Prayer

Lord,

Wipe away the tears.

Take away the guilt.

Teach us to surrender ourselves;

to all you have to offer.

Keep us in your tender care;

FOREVER!

 

Journal/Reflection Questions

2 Samuel 12:7-10, 13

• Is there a sin too big for God to forgive? Is there a sin too big for you to forgive?
• God uses Nathan to grant forgiveness to David; who is God using in your life?

Galatians 2:16, 19-21

• What is the difference between works of the law and works of faith?
• Who is Paul talking to in this scripture? What is the message he is preaching?  What does God want you to hear?

 Luke 7:36-8:3 or 7:36-50

• Jesus says our capacity for forgiveness is tied to our capacity to love. How do you explain the connection?
• Reflect on the behavior of the Pharisee. What does Jesus say he didn’t do?  What does he say the Pharisee should have done?  What would your response to Jesus be if you were the Pharisee?
• Consider the behavior of the woman. What does Jesus say she did?  How is her behavior an example to others?

 

General Questions for Journaling

• Explain your definition of sin and then compare it to the actual definition in the dictionary. How do the definitions differ?  How are they the same?
• What keeps you from forgiving another person?
• How is forgiveness granted? How do you know it has been given?
• What can you do to bring justice to a situation?
• What evidence do you have that Christ lives in you?
• How do you respond when someone tells you they have accepted Christ as their personal savior? What does it mean to you?
• What are the qualities that make something holy? Can you be called holy?
• What good works has God done through you this week?
• How has God used another person to speak to you this week?
• When was the last time you expressed your faith through the service of another person?

 

Closing Prayer

Leader:  Lord, let us love like you love…

ALL:  without conditions or boundaries.

Leader:  Listen like you listen…

 ALL:  with open hearts and open minds.

Leader:  Speak like you speak…

 ALL:  without condemnation or judgment.

Leader:  Let us be a friend like you…

ALL:  loyal and understanding.

Leader:  Forgive as you forgive…

ALL:  quickly and without question,

 Leader:  and give fully, all that we are

 ALL:  because you live in us!

 

Challenge for the Week:  Spend time this week thinking about how you treat others?  How do you treat your neighbors?  Your co-workers?  The clerk at the gas station or grocery store?  How do you treat the person you drive by on your way to work who is waiting for the bus?  What do you do when you see a person standing on the street with a cardboard sign?  Is there a parallel to how well you treat a person and how much you love them or how well you know them or how much you trust them?  Try to determine the how and why of your behavior and make adjustments if necessary to treat each other the way you would treat Jesus…He is there within each person already!

10^th Sunday of Ordinary Time

 

Opening Prayer

Lord God,

We cry out to you

and you hear us.

Let us listen too,

so we might hear the cries

of our neighbors.

Let us reach out to them,

calm their fears, heal their hurts,

and bring them comfort in your name!

 

Journal/Reflection Questions

1 Kings 17:17-24

• When have you felt like your presence has made the situation worse? How can your faith in God help you through this tough time?
• What guilt do you carry which you use as an excuse? What does God say about guilt?

Galatians 1:11-14a, 15a-c, 16a, 17, 19

• How do you know the Word of God is from God? What is the difference between God’s Word and the words of the people?
• God has set each person apart; how was Paul set apart? How was Peter set apart?  How are you set apart?

 Luke 7:11-17

• Describe Jesus’ compassion in this scripture. What can you learn and apply to your life right now?
• What moves you to show pity on another?

 

General Questions for Journaling

• How are you a witness of God?
• Who are the witnesses of God in your life?
• Where do you find people who speak the Word of God?
• How does guilt hold you back? What is it keeping you from?
• What can someone do to let go of guilt? Where does guilt come from?
• When was the last time you learned something about God? What was it?
• Who first taught you about God? What was it you were taught?
• Can you identify a conversion moment in your faith? Was there one or more?
• How has someone wiped away your tears to help you through a tough time? How did you repay them for their kindness?
• When did you last tell others about God’s goodness in your life?

 

Closing Prayer

Leader:  Lord, breathe in us

ALL:  compassion for our neighbor

Leader:  Lord, breathe in us

 ALL:  strength to wipe away the tears

Leader:  Lord, breathe in us

 ALL:  the Words to bring healing

Leader:  Lord, breathe in us

ALL:  mercy and forgiveness for ourselves and others

Leader:  Lord, breathe in us

ALL:  love and acceptance

 Leader:  Lord, breathe in us

 ALL:  YOUR PEACE!

 

Challenge for the Week:  Spend time this week considering how you feel about your faith.  How do you describe it?  Would you say it has saved you?  How does having faith bring you comfort?  How does it dry your tears?  What does your faith give you that nothing else can?  Can you imagine your life without your faith?  Why or why not?  How do you maintain your faith or does it maintain you?  What images or colors do you associate with your faith?  What does your faith smell or taste like?  Where do you go to fill up on faith?  What would happen if you ever run out of faith?  Can a person run out of faith?  Just a few things to ponder this week 🙂