16th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 16th Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. Genesis 18: 1-10a
2. Psalms 15: 2-3, 3-4, 5
3. Colossians 1: 24-28
4. Luke 10: 38-42

1. The art of being flexible
• How do you tell whether some unplanned for event/person/thing is God breaking into your life, or just another distraction?
• Do you think that you are getting better at telling the difference?
• How can we cultivate that sort of humility?
2. Disturbing trends
• As we grow older, the world around us changes, it seems that things make less and less sense, and it's easy to miss the good that is going on.
• Jesus offered His disciples peace.  How can we be at peace in light of all that is going on around us?
• Do you think that peace comes of writing this age off as hopelessly corrupt?
• Or maybe peace comes of disengaging from this life, this world and turning off the 6:00 news altogether?
• What then might peace be built on?
3. Sharing in the suffering
• It has been said that the last great gift that we can give the world is our own death.
• How can we transform that process into a means of grace?
• How can we prepare for that eventual process?
• When does it start?
4. The one thing
• The Gospel speaks of focus.  Do you think that your life is focused, that everything that you do is in service to that "one thing?"
• How do you find the "one thing" that God is calling you to in your life?
• Does that "one thing" shift over the decades?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Are my plans more important to me than God's grace coming into my life?
2. What have I done this week to be more peaceful?
3. Am I willing to let God be transformative in my life, to make good from the bad?
4. Am I willing to simplify my life to get closer to God?

The meaning of meaning

"So, how did that work out for you?" seems an innocent enough question.
Behind it lurks the attitude that good results betoken good efforts.
Which, in turn, implies that it is a waste of time to start on something
Something that is not likely to end well.

I wonder what people would say if the answer to that question came out:
"Wonderful.  The in the end, I learned humility,
I learned trust
I gained freedom."

At which point the follow up question might be:
"freedom from what?"
And our newly aware disciple might get a distant look in their eye and say:
"Freedom from the need for success."

Shalom!