Fifth Sunday of Easter

 

Opening Prayer

Jesus

Open the scripture to me

so I may not neglect to see

the good God created.

Bring to life in me

the spirit of compassion and mercy

to continue the work you began.

AMEN!

 

Journal/Reflection Questions

Acts 6:1-7

• Saint Peter tells the disciples to devote themselves to prayer; what is the purpose of this? What could happen if you devoted yourself to prayer?
• What do you think the definition of “reputable men” is at the time the scripture was written? How does the definition change to be relevant in today’s society?

 1Peter 2:4-9

• Scripture says a stone will make you stumble and a rock will make you fall. Share an example of a stone or a rock in the world today or in your own life.
• How does this scripture passage help you feel “chosen and precious”? Be specific.

 John 14:1-12

• What do you think Philip was thinking when Jesus said, “I am in the Father and the Father is in me”? They mystery of the Trinity was not known to the disciples at this time.  How could Philip make sense of what Jesus was telling them?
• How does God, Jesus, Holy Spirit dwell in you? Give a specific example of each.

 

General Questions for Journaling

• Are there people in the world/your community who are being neglected? Identify something specific you can do to help bring attention to them.
• Would you say you are obedient to the faith? Describe how a person is obedient to the faith.
• What do you do to grow faith within yourself? Within others?
• Do feel like God is listening to your prayer? Are you telling God what you want or are you allowing God into the conversation?  What is the difference?
• Would you say your relationship with God is the cornerstone of your life? Why or why not?
• How do you rely on your faith community to build you up? Share a specific example of a time when this happened.
• Where do you feel the most valued? When do you feel valued?  Who gives  you value?  What makes you feel valued?
• How is God’s love shown to you through this week’s scriptures? What specific words or phrases define God’s love to you?
• According to your answer to the previous question, where to you see God’s love played out in the world/your community/your life right now?
• Are there sacrifices you have made in your life which you regret? What can you do to let go of these feelings of resentment so you can live more fully?
• What sacrifices have been made on your behalf so you can live more fully? Have you expressed gratitude for these sacrifices?
• Where do you find hope in the scripture passages this week?

 

Closing Prayer

Leader:  Jesus, you are the WORD…

ALL:  give me the words to speak of your LOVE!

Leader:  Jesus, you are the STONE…

ALL:  give me the spirit to bring others FAITH!

Leader:  Jesus, you are the WAY…

ALL:  give me the direction to stay on the PATH!

Leader:  Jesus, you are the TRUTH…

ALL:  give me the obedience to find JUSTICE!

Leader:  Jesus, you are the LIFE…

ALL:  give me the compassion to do your WORKS!

Leader:  Jesus, you are the LORD…

ALL:  give me the fulfillment of eternal LIFE!

 

Challenge for the Week:  In the Second Reading, Saint Peter proclaims we are a “chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.”  What is it he is trying to tell us?  Are these words supposed to be explanatory or defining?  In the Catholic Church, these specific words are a part of the ritual prayers prayed at Baptism.  Each person, whether they come to the sacrament as an infant or an adult, have these words prayed over them by the Priest during the ritual of Baptism. This means if you received your Baptism in the Catholic Church, you were brought into the faith committing to be priest, prophet and king.  What does this mean?  This means that as Baptized Christians there is an obligation to live out our baptism, believing it is something we are and not something that we experienced one time.  We are to live as though we were chosen and live with a purpose.  We are a part of a royal priesthood, created and chosen by God to make the world, the community, our family more holy.  This is your mission…have you accepted it?