5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Isaiah 58: 7-10
2. Psalm 112: 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
3. 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
4. Matthew 5:13-16

• Darkness to light
• The California State University system has a prevailing agenda to eliminate the achievement gap between groups of students.  In spite of two generations of agressive social programs aimed at giving everyone the same opportunities, some continue to do better than others.
• How would you define oppression?
• Who do we see doing that oppression around us?
• How can we root out oppression in even a small way?

• A fool and his money are soon parted
• We're called to give and give lavishly to the poor, but just what are we to give them?
• Is it enough to delegate that giving to others, and support just causes with a weekly check?
• How could humility make such giving easier?

• How important is success?
• We are all encouraged to work hard all of our lives because that will lead to success.
• How would you define success?
• Do you think that God desires that we be successful?
• Do we need to know whether we've been a success while we are striving?
• Do we need to know whether we've been a success while we're in this life?

• There's just something about you ...
• If someone came to you and said "I give up, I've got to know why you are so peaceful, generous, loving, ..." what would you tell them?
• What would you show them?
• Would they likely be convinced that you knew the essence of your special nature?
• What does that tell you about your experience of community?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. What am I doing to relieve suffering and anxiety for others?
2. How have I been generous this week?
3. Am I willing to give over to God my desire for success?
4. What about my life is at odds with the Gospel?

The Lord loves a cheerful giver

The world hangs in a balance
Weighed in milliseconds,
The time that it takes for a request to reach your ear,
And your first response to hit your face.

If your eyes dance with delight
At the prospect of giving,
That of itself is a gift sublime
The eagerness to give, the ardor to share.

No amount of words will ever
Take away the sting of that first look of irritation
When you hear your plans crumbling
In the face of one more demand on your resources.

Cheerful giving requires humility
The knowledge deep down inside
That plans are meant to be broken
And that life is short, sweet, and uncertain.

To embrace the chaos of giving
With no reservation or second thoughts
Is an art form reserved for the humble
Those who know that their time is God's.

Only the humble can simplify life
And leave behind the meaningless clutter
To make room for the really tough stuff
Even when you were sure you had just done that.

Shalom!