6th Sunday of Easter

Our readings for the 6th Sunday of Easter are:

1. Acts 10: 25-26, 34-35, 44-48
2. Psalms 98: 1, 2-3, 3-4
3. 1 John 4: 7-10
4. John 15: 9-17

• Catching up to the Holy Spirit
• It seems as though even the early apostles sometimes let their past history limit what they thought God could/would do.
• How can we be more open to the movements of the Spirit?
• Do you think that sacraments evolve over time to meet new needs, or are they transcendent, or both?
• Who participates in that ongoing creative activity?

• Your idea of salvation may not be mine
• It seems that it is nearly impossible for nations to simply leave each other alone in peace these days.  Anything that benefits one group, one tribe, one nation always seems to come at a cost to another.
• What do we mean when we talk about the Lord's salvation at a community, or national level?
• How do you think God can bring about peace to our world, at this time?
• What role do we have in making that peace?

• Taking it easy
• A wise Jesuit brother once shared with us that as he has prayed longer, he prays simpler.
• How can we let go of more in our prayer life and let God do more?
• When does that become simple laziness?

• You already have what you need:
• You have to wonder what went through the first disciple's minds when Jesus said "I have told you everything I have heard from my Father."  I'd be wondering whether I missed a lecture or two along the way, because I sure would not feel as though I had the complete "how to" of Christianity.
• Acting out of love implies that we know what is best for another.  How do we learn that?
• God's actions often seem hard for us to understand.  If we are god-like, will we be hard to understand?
• Do you ever think that Jesus felt lonely in his ministry?
• How can we minster to that loneliness today?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Is my heart open to God breaking through in the lives of others?
2. What am I doing to bring about peace in my time?
3. How are my desires coming closer to God's?
4. What am I doing to make better use of the graces that I already have?

Shalom!

5th Sunday of Easter

Our readings for the 5th Sunday of Easter are:

1. Acts 9: 26-31
2. Psalms 22: 26-27, 28, 30, 31-32
3. 1 John 3: 18-24
4. John 15: 1-8

• Seeing others in a new light
• The beauty of being a confirmed cynic is that you're never disappointed.
• Has there ever been someone in your life who really surprised you by some act of kindness, bravery, generosity?
• Why is it that you were so surprised?
• Do you think that God ever tires of expecting the best from, and in us?
• What would it take for you to have higher expectations of those in your life?

• Getting into the family business
• At some point, our children and grandchildren become adults, have to make their own decisions, live their own lives.  But that can be so hard.
• God gives us free will, do you think He ever regrets that?
• When God looks at us, the pain that we go through, the self-inflicted injuries that we give ourselves, our fears and doubts, how do you think that makes Him feel?
• All of us are parents in some way or another.  How can we join our parent hearts to God's parent heart in caring for our children, whoever, wherever they may be?

• That wasn't what I wanted
• When was the last time that you prayed for something and got exactly what you were looking for?
• Why do you think that is?
• How has your prayer life changed over the years?
• Why do you think that is?

• Stop your whining:
• An old Jesuit priest once remarked to a group of us that his life lately has been characterized by "making it simpler".  All of the things that he so eagerly sought after earlier in life were fine at the time, but he just didn't need them anymore.
• What is God trying to accomplish by such "pruning"?
• How do you know that you are done?
• How can we become more open to such pruning?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Is my heart open to God breaking through in the lives of others?
2. What am I doing to today to build the community that my children will raise children in?
3. How are my desires coming closer to God's?
4. Where is God calling me to leave something behind to pick up something better?

Shalom!

4th Sunday of Easter

Our readings for the 4th Sunday of Easter are:

1. Acts 4:8-12
2. Psalms 118: 1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 29
3. 1 John 3: 1-2
4. John 10: 11-18

• Saved from what, to what?
• Peter and John had healed a man born lame (I feel pretty lame at times, I can relate) and the local authorities had rounded them up for questioning.
• In the translation, the word that Peter used for this act was save, rather than healed.
• What has Jesus saved you from in your life?
• What have you done with that life that He has given you?

• Enduring kindness
• Where/when has God been especially kind to you?
• How did you become aware of that kindness?
• How is it that God does not lose patience with us?
• How can we become more God like in that regard?

• I can only imagine
• We are told that in heaven we will be like God.  What does that mean to you?
• What about that transformation/resurrection do you look forward to the most?
• What can you and the rest of us do now to best prepare for that new existence that you will have?

• Doing God's work:
• Jesus distances Himself from those who are merely hirelings, whose only interest in the sheep comes from they pay that they receive.  Sounds a little harsh towards wage-earners.
• Is it possible to be doing "God's work", and yet get paid for it?
• How can each of us contribute towards making sure that those who do get paid for doing God's work get a just wage?
• Are volunteers in God's work holier, less talented, than the "professionals"?  Or did they just have better agents working for them?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Where/how am I celebrating God's mission in my life today?
2. Where is God calling me to be His salvation in other's lives?
3. How can I prepare for eternity in my daily life?
4. Is my career a vocation?

Shalom!

3rd Sunday of Easter

Our readings for the 3rd Sunday of Easter are:

1. Acts 3: 13-15, 17-19
2. Psalms 4: 2, 4, 7-8, 9
3. 1 John 2: 1-5a
4. Luke 24: 35-49

• Bait and switch
• What would you say are some of the prime promises that God has made to you?
• Have those promises made a difference in your life, or do you keep that promises at arm's length?
• What would be different in your life if you really started to live one or more of those promises? 

• Earning peace
• Jesus gave His disciples peace in the Gospel reading this last week.  What do you think that actually meant for them?
• When you are stressed over something and need to find God's will in all of that, what do you do?
• Do you think that peace and serenity is something you can force?
• Where do you find it then?

• Strength for the journey
• How do you fight temptation?
• How does Christ's mercy help you to fight temptation?
• Where else can you go for strength?

• Something fishy about this incarnation
• Why do you think that Jesus asks us to get involved in His ministry at all, like getting Him a fish to eat?
• This Gospel occurs right after Jesus reveals Himself in the breaking of the Bread in the road to Emmaus reading.  What does that tell you about Jesus?
• What does that tell you about any time that we share a meal?
• What does that tell you about the hungry and homeless among us?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Do I have the trust in God for His promises to be fulfilled in His time?
2. What do I need to stop forcing in my life and let God?
3. Am I humble enough to ask for help in my walk when I need it?
4. Where are the opportunities to serve God in my life?

Shalom!

2nd Sunday of Easter

Our readings for the 2nd Sunday of Easter are:

1. Acts 4: 32-35
2. Psalms 118: 2-4, 13-15, 22-24
3. 1 John 5: 1-6
4. John 20: 19-31

• One heart and mind sounds so easy ...
• There can be a dark side to unity, a homogeneity of thought achieved by ruthlessly excluding anyone who believes differently, questions the status quo, marginalizing anyone who dares to raise an alternative point of view.
• How do you think a healthy Christian community grows in depth and at the same time achieves unity?
• How are the really meaningful questions of our day raised?
• By whom?
• How do those questions get answered, or at least explored? 

• It's a brand new day
• The phrase "a new day" heralds new possibilities, options that were not there before.
• How has your faith opened up new doors in your life?
• How many of those doors have to stepped through?
• What happened as you took that step?

• More than conquerors
• It's easy to give up, become cynical, decide that the whole shootin' match is just going to go up in flames anyway.
• What do you hope for in this life, in your life?
• How is Jesus providing for that hope?
• How did you come to that hope?

• Going to the source
• Poor Thomas gets a bad rap year in, year out.  But consider that the rest of the disciples had all abandoned Jesus in His hour of need, the Jewish authorities were probably looking to finish the job that they started with the crucifixion, and every one of those disciple's families' honor in their communities were at stake.
• Is it presumptuous for us to seek to see for ourselves, rather than rely on someone else's words?
• Where does authority come from in the Church?
• How does that authority flow?
• Is that the only source of revelation?

Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Do I have the courage to ask the tough questions of my faith?
2. Where is the Spirit calling me today?
3. Is my life in Christ truly making a difference?
4. How is God leading me this week?

Shalom!