13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for 13th Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. 2 Kings 4: 8-11, 14-16a
2. Psalms 89: 2-3, 16-17, 18-19
3. Romans 6: 3-4, 8-11
4. Matthew 10: 37-42

• Exchange of Gifts
• The central action of Eucharist has been described as a "holy exchange of gifts."
• What has God first given us?
• What do we offer back to God in Eucharist?
• What does God offer us back?
• What are some specific things that you offered God this past Sunday?
• What did/have you received in turn in that encounter?

• Faithfulness over success
• Mother Theresa has been quoted saying "God doesn't look for success, only faithfulness."
• Why do you think that could be challenging in daily life?
• If you cannot be ineffably successful at something, why do you think that God would put you there in the first place?
• What do you think has to happen for us to utterly fail in our ministry before God?

• You are so dead to me ...
• Can you think of a person, place, thing, habit that you've had to leave behind in order to get closer to God?
• What was the hardest part of that separation?
• How has giving that up benefited you?
• What was the hardest part of that giving up?
• How/when did God help you through that transition?

• Staying focused
• Do you live to eat or do you eat to live?
• Do you work to live, or do you live to work?
• Do you live to follow Jesus, or do you follow Jesus to live?
• Which of the above three questions is fundamentally different from the other two?
• Why?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. When I come to celebrate Mass, what is it that I bring with me to offer to Jesus?
2. What am I faithful in these days?
3. What things in my life get between me and Jesus?
4. How is my following of Jesus bringing me new/more abundant life?

Shalom!