25th Sunday of Ordinary Time

 

Opening Prayer

Lord

How can I help my neighbor?

I can barely care for myself.

What do I have to offer?

I don’t have any more to spare.

Lead me to find the resources

I need to care not only for myself

but for others too!

 

Journal/Reflection Questions

Amos 8: 4-7

• How do you feel called to care for the poor? What do you do to live out this call?
• What are you willing to sacrifice to provide for those you are responsible to care for?

 1 Timothy 2: 1-8

• Have you ever given something up for another person? What was it and for whom did you give it up?
• What causes people in the world today to get angry? What are some of the arguments going on in the world right now?  How would lifting your hands to God help?

 Luke 16: 1-13 or 10-13

• Have you ever squandered something away or spent extravagantly?
• Do you save things or hold things back for future generation? If so what?  For what purpose?

 

General Questions for Journaling

• When have you been in a situation or witnessed a situation that was unjust? How did you deal with it?  What did you do?
• Have you ever horded something valuable and chose not to share? What was it?
• Identify a time when you have been greedy. What did it feel like?  What was the situation?  From whom did you with-hold or take from?
• Have you ever been exploited? Have you exploited another?
• Have you ever been oppressed? Have you oppressed another?
• Is there an injustice which needs your attention? How does scripture lead you to a solution?
• How do you take your faith outside of the church doors? How do you live it each day of the week?
• Have you ever had someone be a mediator in your life to help resolve a situation?
• When have you helped two people work out an issue? How did you handle the situation?  What was the outcome?
• How do you see church and state, regardless of the law? Do you believe they are separate?  Do you think they interact?  Do you agree they should be separate?  Why or why not?
• How many people do you know that you would describe as trustworthy?
• How do you serve God? How do you serve society?  Which one wins?

 

Closing Prayer

Leader:  When I feel trampled

ALL:  you come to pick me up!

Leader:  When I am in need

 ALL:  you find a way to satisfy!

Leader:  When I call out to you

 ALL:  you listen to my plea!

Leader:  When I hold back

ALL:  you urge me to give more!

Leader:  When I surrender

ALL:  you give abundantly!

 

 Challenge for the Week:  We can sometimes fool ourselves into thinking there are adjectives for a lie…a little lie, a big lie, it can be necessary or harmless but really none of these are true.  A lie is a lie and when we lie, it often catches up with us.  When have you told a lie?  Did you lie to get out of something you didn’t want to do?  Did you lie to make someone feel better?  Did you lie so you didn’t have to deal with the truth?  Are there lies you have told which have no meaning?  Sometimes one lie causes you to tell another lie and another until you lose track of the truth and you can begin to believe our own lies.  Spend time this week meditating on a recent lie you told, was it a slip of the tongue or is there something you are hiding?  Once you’ve determined what you have done, figure out how you will make it right.