Easter Day

Our readings for Easter Sunday are:

1. Genesis Acts 10: 34a, 37-43
2. Psalms 118: 1-2, 16-17, 22-23
3. 1 Corinthians 5: 6b-8
4. Luke 24: 13-35

• Here's where I'm coming from ...
• Often, when explaining your perspective to others, we tell a story to explain how we came to believe what we do.
• What is your story this Easter?  Why do you believe what you do?
• What are the latest chapters in that faith narrative?
• How do you think this story will end? 

• It's a brand new day
• Jesus saves us from our sins, but to something else.
• What is that something else that Jesus has saved you to?
• Do you think that you would be able to be/do that person were it not for Jesus presence in your life?
• How did that opportunity first open up in your life?
• What does that tell you about God?

• The Spirit is flying low
• When has the Spirit's presence in your life been particularly evident?
• How did you know/register that presence at the time?
• Did you find that it was easy or hard to open up to that Presence?
• Why is that?

• The funniest thing happened to me the other day ...
• When things happen in your life that you don't know the meaning of, where do you go for help?
• What does that husband/wife/faithful friend/... do or say that helps you find that meaning?
• What do you do once you find the meaning of those moments?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Where is God calling me?
2. What does my freedom allow me to do?
3. Where can I be more open to the Spirit in my life?
4. How can I be more welcoming to those looking to me to help them find meaning?

Shalom!

Passion Sunday

Our readings for Palm Sunday are:

1. Isaiah 50: 4-7
2. Psalms 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24
3. Philippians 2: 6-11
4. Mark 14:1-15:47

• Dare to hope
• It's easy to be a cynic.  The cynic never hopes for anything better, never risks disappointment.
• Where have you given up hope lately in your life?
• Are there any voices of hope for you and your community?
• Could God be calling you to be one of those voices of hope? 

• The present of Presence
• Have you ever just "been there" for someone in need?
• What brought you to that place (literally and metaphorically)?
• What good did you really do by your presence?
• Could you have been more effective?

• The school of humility
• How do you think that Jesus learned humility?
• How do you think His prayer life supported that growth in humility?
• Why do you think that it was so important for Him to be humble?
• How can we learn to be more humble?

• Time and space made holy
• I imagine that the disciples were well accustomed to Jesus getting off by Himself to pray, yet this time doubtless seemed different somehow, more urgent.
• Where are the special places, special times, special rituals, people, seasons where you feel closest to God?
• Is it merely because you have found God there before, or do you think that it is something more?
• How can all of life become that sort of a doorway?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Where is God calling me out of my comfort zone?
2. Do I have to be betting something "done" in order to serve God?
3. Where is God teaching me to be more like Jesus, more humble?
4. What in my life is God ready to consecrate today?

Shalom!

5th Sunday of Lent

Our readings for the 5th Sunday of Lent (using the Cycle A readings) are:

1. Ezekiel 37: 12-14
2. Psalms 130: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8
3. Romans 8: 8-11
4. John 11: 1-45

• Just like it was, except ...
• When my father-in-law was convalescing from heart surgery the phrase "the new normal" came up frequently as a way to describe his post recovery existence.
• When have you had something restored to you, be it employment, maybe a restored relationship, even something mundane like starting yet another school year after a summer off.
• Was that restoration just "same song, second verse", or did you find a sense of progress, of movement in that restoration?
• How do you think that you could be more sensitive to such movement in your life?
• Is it worth the effort? 

• Kind of kind
• Have you ever had an act of kindness on your part misunderstood, or even rejected?
• Why did that happen?
• Do you think that every genuine act of kindness is well received?
• Is it worth the risk to be kind to someone?
• Does an act of kindness have to be well received, in order for that act to be successful?

• Sense of belonging
• Most of use crave a sense of belonging, a deep feeling that we are right where we were meant to be, doing exactly what we were born to do.
• We belong to, and in God, and yet that deep sense of "fitting" is so hard to come by.  Why is that?
• When have you felt that you were exactly where you needed to be, when you needed to be there?
• How did you get to that place?
• How can you get there again?

• Just like it was, except ...
• I bet that Lazarus still left the toilet seat up after Jesus raised him from the dead.
• And yet, for Lazarus and everyone whose life he had touched everything was different, new, reborn.
• Have you ever had a resurrection in your life where a person, place, occupation was totally transformed for you, and yet much was still the same?
• Did that sense of newness eventually "wear off"?
• Is that a good thing?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Where is God calling me out of my comfort zone?
2. How can the kindness that I show others be more like the kindness that God shows me?
3. What does it mean for me to say that "I belong to Jesus"?
4. What in my life needs to be resurrected?

Shalom!

4th Sunday of Lent

Our readings for the 4th Sunday of Lent (using the Cycle A readings) are:

1. 1 Samuel 16: 1b, 6-7, 10-13a
2. Psalms 23: 1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
3. Ephesians 5: 8-14
4. John 9: 1-41

• Mission impossible
• How have you decided to take up the various callings of your life, things like spouse, parent, Eucharistic Minister, prophet?
• Did you feel as though you knew what it was going to demand of you at the beginning?
• If you had known what that calling was going to require, would you have done it anyway?
• How are you getting better at discerning your calling? 

• Goodness gracious
• How do you feel blessed these days?
• Did you always recognize that as a blessing?
• Would you say that your life is full of goodness, or that you have learned to find the goodness in all things?

• Exposing the hidden
• Journalists often feel that they have a mission to expose secrets, hold the powerful accountable, let the little guy in on the power of knowledge.
• Are the so-called professionals the only ones called to that?
• When was the last time that you spoke up about something that needed to be addressed?
• Why so long?

• Free from fear
• What are some of the things that you fear most?
• How much time/energy do you spend minimizing the likelihood of those things happening?
• Do you share those fears with Jesus?
• What was His response?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Where is God calling me out of my comfort zone?
2. Where can I be a blessing to others by helping them to see how blessed they are?
3. How can I be more prophetic?
4. Where is fear ruling my life?

Shalom!