Sunday, February 26th Readings

1^st Sunday of Lent

Opening Prayer

Abba Father

As I awake to each new day,

may I be aware of the breath I take.

Before I even open my eyes,

may I inhale deeply the life You give.

Despite the struggles or challenges,

let me count the blessings and

be fully aware of the love You have for me!

AMEN!

Journal/Reflection Questions

Genesis 2:7-9, 3:1-7

How is your relationship with God? Is it different than the way God intended it to be?
What do you try to hide from God? What do you hide from others?
Is there a serpent in your life telling you untruths to keep you from fulfillment?

Romans 5:12-19

Paul says to be grateful for the sin of Adam. Why do you think he says this? Do you agree or disagree? What do you think?
Is there a difference between sinning against God and sinning against your neighbor?
How have you sacrificed or given to another for them to have life?

Matthew 4:1-11

Jesus fights the devil in the desert, how can you draw strength from this reading in your struggles?
Jesus uses scripture to ward off the devil’s temptations. What scripture can you use to help give you strength to fight temptation?
What desert places have you encountered? Are you in the desert now? How does the scripture give you courage to overcome?

General Questions for Journaling

The gift of freewill gets humans into a lot of trouble. Is there a time when you knew the will of God but you ignored it like Adam and Eve?
Why do you think God gave humans free will but not the other creatures?
If God didn’t give humans free will, what do you think the world would be like?
How do you hide your sinfulness from others? Are you honest with yourself about your faults and failings?
Sometimes when a person fails, they become discouraged and give up because the weight of sin can be paralyzing. What can you do to help you remember that Jesus already bore your sins? How can you free yourself or others from the burden of sin?
Describe a time when you felt you were in the desert. Describe a time when you felt you were in the wilderness. How did those experiences similar? Differ? Where was God in these experiences?

Name the things that tempt you. When you do so, does it change the way you look at them?
What do you desire? How do you know if it is good or bad? By what do you measure?
Jesus was willing to die for you; what are you giving up for him?
How does sin weigh you down?
How are the 40 days of Lent like the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert?
What symbol of Lent means the most to you? Why? (choose a symbol to reflect on and help you through Lent)

Closing Prayer

Leader: Let me remember…

ALL: I am clay.

Leader: As clay…

ALL: I can be hard and dry.

Leader: As clay…

ALL: I must be molded.

Leader: As clay…

ALL: I can take on many forms.

Leader: As clay…

ALL: I am created perfectly.

Leader: As clay…

ALL: I can withstand the fire.

Leader: This Lent…

ALL: I am clay!

Challenge for the Week: Simple challenge. Plant a seed TODAY. Gather dirt into a plastic cup, a pot or whatever you can find. Tend to it throughout the Lenten Season and continue to nurture it through the Easter Season too. Each time you look at it, water it or spin it in the sunlight, Thank God for caring for you.

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Discipleship 5K: A Physical and Spiritual Journey to the Cross by Heather Neds, author of the Weekly Scripture Journal is more than a book, it is a guide to becoming a stronger disciple. Grab and copy and start the journey!

Sunday, February 19th Readings

7th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Opening Prayer

Jesus

When I feel beaten

and alone,

When it seems all is lost

or forgotten,

Let me cling to YOUR spirit.

Allow me to gain strength

through your love.

Come.

Dwell in my soul.

AMEN

Journal/Reflection Questions

Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18

How is holiness described here? How is your personal holiness connected to others?
To love others as Jesus loves is a tall order. Are there people in your life with which you hold a grudge? Feel contempt toward? Consider unworthy of your time or attention?
How does it feel when you carry a grudge, hatred, or revenge with you and into your relationships?

1Corinthians 3:16-23

Can a person deceive themself? Can they lie to themself? Share an example.
If God dwells in you, you are the tabernacle. How do you treat your body as the temple of God? How do you honor God within yourself?
How do you treat the “temple of God”? What can you do to take better care of yourself knowing within you dwells God?

Matthew 5:38-48

Jesus said the “old” law was to seek justice, “an eye for an eye” but the “new” law says to “turn the other cheek.” This is easier said than done but have you done it? Reflect on a time when you were able to “turn the other cheek”, how were you able to do this?
What makes it difficult to turn the other cheek? Name the feeling. Where does it come from?
Consider your actions toward someone who has hurt you. What are the feelings you feel when you are around that person or when you know you know you will need to interact with them? What steps can you take to transform those negative feelings into more positive ones?
Spend time reflecting on how Jesus lived out this Gospel message in his final days on earth. What can you take from this example and apply to a situation you are experiencing at this time in your life?

General Questions for Journaling

How do you define community?
Are you a member of one or more communities?
What value do you derive by being a part of a community?

What does it mean to be holy? How can you be holy like God is holy? Where do you start?
Where do you see God’s holiness in your life? What signs of heaven do you find here on earth?

Is there someone whom you are in conflict with right now? What stands in the way of reconciliation?
What do you see when you look in the mirror? Do you see your sin or your potential?
Imagine your heart is a garden, what condition is your garden in? What do you need to do so God can grow more abundantly in your heart? What do you need to weed out? What do you need to plant?
Knowledge you can measure through testing to show how much you know. How is wisdom measured?
On a scale from 1-10, identify the wisdom within. How do you rate? Do you know anyone whom you’d rate at a 10?
Who taught you about taking turns or how to be fair?
How does it feel when you don’t get your turn?
Are there situations in your life right now that are “not fair”? How do you deal with them?
Is there something in your life (a sin) which tempts you? How often do you give in? What helps you to resist?
Have you ever been able to find peace in an unfair situation? Share.

When was the last time you gave more than was required or asked for? What was the situation? Why did you give more?
Are there people in your life who have hurt you? Have you forgiven them for that hurt? What did you do or what do you need to do in order to let go of the hurt and allow forgiveness to work?
Identify where evil lurks in your life. How do you identify it? How do you feed it? What can you do to resist evil?
One of the hardest things for humans to do is to let go and forgive. Is there someone who is waiting for your forgiveness? What can you do to begin to work on forgiving that person?

Closing Prayer

Leader: Holy is the word of Jesus,

ALL: Holy is the WORD!

Leader: Holy is the flesh of Jesus,

ALL: Holy is the BODY!

Leader: Holy is the blood of Jesus,

ALL: Holy is the BLOOD!

Leader: Holy is the cross of Jesus,

ALL: Holy is the CROSS!

Leader: Holy is the peace of Jesus,

ALL: Holy is His PEACE!

Leader: Holy is the name of Jesus,

ALL: Holy is His NAME!

Challenge for the Week: Pray, Pray, Pray. Pray for yourself, pray for those you love, pray for friends and family who are sick or have asked for prayers and don’t forget to pray for those who have hurt you or who persecute you? This does not mean to pray for them to stop hurting you, rather to prayer for their soul; pray for their conversion; pray their hurt may be healed; pray they seek God. It is not easy to pray for good things for those who hurt you or persecute you. It is human instinct is to wish them harm, but remember Jesus says in the Gospel this week you must love your enemies. Consider also how you can show love toward those who hurt you. Turn to the Bible to find examples you follow.

Sunday, June 12th Readings

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

Opening Prayer

Blessed Trinity

You created me out of love

You came to be one with me

And You remain still.

You are the beginning and the end.

May I stay mindful

of all you are and all you give!

Journal/Reflection Questions

Proverbs 8:22-31

Where do you find delight? Is it a place? Is it a hobby? Is it a person?
How has God marked you as His own?

Romans 5:1-5

How does the Spirit work in you? How is it manifested? Where does it reside? Can you feel the presence of the Holy Spirit?
When did you last boast of God’s love? What words did you use/What words could you use?

John 16:12-15

How does the phrase, God gives you only what you can handle apply? What about those times when you are overwhelmed? How does the Gospel reading give insight to this phrase?
What is divine love? Define divine love.
How does the Holy Spirit speak to you? What does it have to say?

General Questions for Journaling

How do you carry God with you each day?
Does nature speak to you? What does it say? What parts of nature speak to you?
Does God have a signature? If so, what does it look like?
How do you show gratitude for creation?
How do you show gratitude for the human race?
What do you value about the human race?
Name ways people disappoint. Name ways God disappoints.
How does a person know the Holy Spirit has been given to them?
Is there a time when you needed (wished for) more from God?
Where do you feel the presence of God the most?
When do you feel the closest to Jesus?
Describe how each part of the Holy Trinity adds to your life.
What is the role of each part of the Holy Trinity? In general? In your faith life?

Closing Prayer

Leader: Father of all, I pray…

ALL: for those who feel alone and abandoned.

Leader: Creator, I pray…

ALL: for those looking for their purpose.

Leader: Son of God, I pray…

ALL: for those who seek healing from illness or hurt.

Leader: Lord of Lords, I pray…

ALL: for those in need of mercy and forgiveness.

Leader: Spirit of truth, I pray…

ALL: for those who need direction.

Leader: Advocate, I pray…

ALL: for those who cannot stand up for themselves.

Leader: Holy Trinity, I pray…

ALL: for your continued guidance and support.

Challenge for the Week: Explaining the Trinity to someone can be a challenge, you may not even really understand it yourself. However, if you are called to go out to all the world and make disciples of every nation, it is important for you to be able to describe your relationship with the Trinity. Spend time this week identifying who the Trinity is to you. This might require you to do some studying to learn more about Church teaching and/or to discuss with a friend or two how they view the Trinity.

Sunday, June 5th Readings

Pentecost

Opening Prayer

Come, Holy Spirit, come!

Renew my life

Lead my actions

Guide my words

Show me the way, home!

Journal/Reflection Questions

Acts 2:1-11

Do you understand all that you believe? How does it become clear to you? Who makes it so?
How do you know the Spirit is here? What makes you know when the Holy Spirit is present and living and working?

1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13 or Romans 8:8-17

How does the Spirit work to give you gifts? Can you develop new gifts?
What can you do to die to the flesh? Is there something you need to die to in order to live more deeply in the Spirit?

John 20:19-23 or John 14:15-16, 23B-26

What does the Holy Spirit have to do with forgiveness of sins? Explain.
How does the Holy Spirit help you keep the commandments? Give examples.

General Questions for Journaling

Is it possible to speak without words? How good/clear is the communication?
What do you speak without words? What do you communicate to the world?
Where do you see the Holy Spirit teaching today?
What is the Holy Spirit guiding you do?
Where is the Holy Spirit leading you?
What is the Holy Spirit giving you strength to accomplish?
What wisdom, knowledge or understanding is the Holy Spirit giving you in order to teach others?
How does the Spirit manifest itself in your life?
Do you carry around “dead weight” which takes up space within you? How can you release it and fill the space with the Holy Spirit?
Define advocate. How does this describe the Holy Spirit?

Closing Prayer (excerpts from Veni Sanctus Spiritus)