6th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Opening Prayer

Father,

Give me the eyes to see you!

          I want to choose you,

          I want to run to you,

          I want to love you,

                   but I find it difficult at times

                   to embrace what I cannot see.

Fill me with the faith to choose you,

          even when I cannot see!

AMEN

Journal/Reflection Questions

Sirach 15:15-20

• Why do you think God trusts humanity with free will? Are you able to tell the difference between good and evil all of the time?
• Do you believe God sees all things? If so, what would he say about your actions this past week? Today?
• Is it enough to simply say you choose God? Why or why not? How do your words and actions show you choose God?

1Corinthians 2:6-10

• Can you imagine something beautiful? How does it make you feel that God created that beauty just for your pleasure?
• Describe what it feels like to be surrounded by God’s beauty?
• How do you see God? How do you hear God? What does God smell like, taste like, feel like? What does your heart tell you about God?

Matthew 5:17-37

• Is there anger in your heart? How would God judge?
• How can what you do or say contradict the truth?
• What does the “spirit of the law” mean? How can you apply it to your life?
• Can you love God and others without the law? Are the commandments necessary? Why or why not?
• Have you ever done something good or something you were supposed to do and then made sure others knew you did it? How was this like OR not like the Pharisees in the Gospel?

General Questions for Journaling

• When you are faced with a choice, do you consult God before making your decision?
• Are there decisions you need to make each day which you don’t need to consult with God? What are they?
• One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is, fear of the Lord. How do you show fear of the Lord? Does “fear” mean frighten or scare? How do you define “fear”?

• How do you know the will you have chosen is God’s will? 
• If you believe God sees all things, why do you still sin?
• Is it easy or difficult to choose between good and evil? How can you tell the difference?
• Identify the ways in which the commandments help you.
• What does fear of God look like to you?
• How is wisdom different than knowledge or understanding?
• How do you live out the law? 
• How does God show you He loves you? How do you know it’s God?
• When you think of heaven, what do you see, hear, smell, taste?
• Describe a time when you felt the Holy Spirit “working” inside of you. When was it, where were you, who were you with, what were you doing? How do you know it was the Holy Spirit?
• The Bible says God is a good judge. What evidence is there of this?
• How can righteousness keep you from loving God or your neighbor. Reflect on a time when you experienced this firsthand.
• Is it possible to live beyond the law? What would that look like?

Closing Prayer

Leader:  You give Your love

ALL:  in all of creation.

Leader:  You give Your love

ALL:  with a rainbow.

Leader:  You give Your love

ALL:  in the commandments.

Leader:  You give Your love

ALL:  on a cross.

Leader:  You give Your love

ALL:  in the Word & Eucharist.

Leader:  You give Your love

ALL:  through ME!

Challenge for the Week:  Judging others is a sin many struggle with on a daily basis but did you know that even if you have been able to control judging others, you may not have controlled judging yourself?  When people judge themselves they tend to be harder on themselves than they are on others.  Spend some time this week “judging” yourself and others through the eyes of Jesus.  Consider how your vision changes.

AND/OR

How does God influence your decisions?  Do you turn to God to help you discern your life choices or are there others in your life who help you?  Allow yourself to consider the decisions you make and the process in which you make them.  Do the people whom you ask for help have your best interests at heart or do they have something to lose or gain?  How do the commandments play a role in the decisions you make?  Reflect on the 10 commandments this week and come up with questions you can ask yourself when you are faced with a decision.  Allow these questions to help you make a choice which falls in line with your beliefs and follows God’s plan for you in your life.  Give God room in your life and in your decisions to guide you.

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