Sunday, September 12th Readings

24th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Opening Prayer

Father

All the times when you step in

to protect me,

to give me the things I need,

to show love,

to teach me,

to give me strength or understanding,

to show patience,

I KNOW I AM YOURS…Thank you, Father!

Amen

Journal/Reflection Questions

Isaiah 50:5-9a

This scripture gives birth to the phrase, if God is for me, who can be against me? Which line of scripture gives you the most strength and understanding of this fact?
What advice does this scripture give on how to face turmoil or trouble? What attitude must one have when facing opposition? Is this attitude strictly for when people oppose your faith or beliefs or can it be true when facing any conflict?

James 2:14-18

What does this scripture say about how you should treat others? Is it easy to follow? Why or why not?
Look closely at yourself. Draw a diagram or chart to map out how your faith and works compare over the past week, month or year. Are there trends? Are there obstacles which deterred them from coming together? Or on the positive side, are there situations which cultivated them to overlap?

Mark 8:27-35

The cross Jesus bore was made of wood, full of the sins of those He loved. What is your cross made of? What do you carry?
Have you, like Jesus in this scripture, ever been misunderstood by faithful companion(s)? What happened? How was the misunderstanding resolved?

General Questions for Journaling

Consider a time when you lived out the first scripture. What was the situation? How do you know God was on your side?
Imagine the first scripture playing out in a movie or play. What emotions would you feel to witness someone turning the other cheek? How are those feelings different if you were the one who turned your face for another blow?
What in the first scripture lets you know you are not supposed to simply let people abuse you or trample you under foot? Is it a fine line or a wide divide between what the scripture teaches and physical, mental or emotional abuse?
Are you listening to what God is saying to you? What is the difference between listening and hearing?
Can you identify the “satan” in your life? What is it that consistently causes you to step backwards instead of leaping forward?
What does it truly mean to “deny one’s self”? Is it like saying no to a fourth piece of pizza or skipping dessert? Why or why not?
The world teaches people to serve only themselves but Jesus says to serve others, on a scale from 1-10, how are you doing with this task?
Jesus wants to know he is fully loved and fully known, the way He fully loves and fully knows you. Share examples of how you can do this.
What specifically can you gain if you lose your life? What role does God play in this scenario?
Is saying Jesus is the Christ wrong? Are there times when you should keep you mouth shut and your faith to yourself? Give examples.
Make a list of reasons Jesus may have told the disciples not to tell anyone He is the one who is spoken about in the Old Testament. What repercussions could occur if everyone knew?

Closing Prayer

Leader: May I not turn my back on a person in need.