- Acts 15: 1-2, 22-29
- Psalms 67: 2-3, 4, 6, 8
- Revelation 21: 10-14, 22-23
- John 14: 23-29
- Keep it simple
- Circumcision was a sign of God's covenant with His people, a sacramental if you will. It set them apart from those around them, reminded the People that they were His.
- Thinking of your family, community, parish, what is there that distinguishes you from those around you?
- Do you think those differences should be obvious?
- Do those differences define who you are?
- Should they?
- You make the world a better place
- I'm lucky in that I have a handful of people in my life who have inspired me, given me hope, and challenged me.
- In what ways do you as a person, member of a community, member of your family, member of your parish, inspire those that you meet?
- Do you feel that all of us should be inspiring?
- Can you envision leading a life that inspires others to greatness?
- Why is that?
- Standing in the Temple
- We set aside income as an offering to God, we set aside time to serve and worship God, we give away our talents in God's service. All of that serves to remind us that all of it is His, all is gift.
- How do you separate the sacred from the profane in your life? Do you have special times, places, actions that are dedicated to God's service?
- What does that say about the rest of your life?
- How could you bring those two halves of your life into better harmony, integration?
- Finding the love
- Every couple has a story arc: how they met, got to know each other, fell in love, decided to commit to each other, became a blessing to their community. Maybe not always in that order.
- How did you & Jesus meet?
- Why do you love Him?
- How do you express that love?
- How has that relationship deepened over time?
- How do you want for it to deepen?
- Preparation for Reconciliation:
- How can I, and my community, be more welcoming today?
- Am I a blessing to those around me?
- How is God finding residence in me?
- Where is my love for God growing deeper?
Pondering
We have all seen the old men and women in our midst.
Gazing off into the distance, eyes focused on the invisible.
We who scurry from demand to demand look on in wonder.
Trying to figure out what it is like to have that much time.
Maybe that soft gaze into the middle distance
Betokens a process, a processing, of life lived.
Finding the sense, the meaning, the greater rhythm of it all.
Visiting the memories, not as an escape, but a deeper living.
Which makes me wonder why we so often wait so long to ponder
To truly dwell in the life that we've been given.
Instead we unconsciously fill our days to the brim.
Always fearing missing out, not accomplishing enough.
When there needs to be an ebb and flow to our days,
Equal energy given to action and contemplation.
Action informing our contemplation,
Contemplation giving the action its meaning and purpose.
Such discipline could eventually transform all of life -
Into one long prayer.
Shalom!Gazing off into the distance, eyes focused on the invisible.
We who scurry from demand to demand look on in wonder.
Trying to figure out what it is like to have that much time.
Maybe that soft gaze into the middle distance
Betokens a process, a processing, of life lived.
Finding the sense, the meaning, the greater rhythm of it all.
Visiting the memories, not as an escape, but a deeper living.
Which makes me wonder why we so often wait so long to ponder
To truly dwell in the life that we've been given.
Instead we unconsciously fill our days to the brim.
Always fearing missing out, not accomplishing enough.
When there needs to be an ebb and flow to our days,
Equal energy given to action and contemplation.
Action informing our contemplation,
Contemplation giving the action its meaning and purpose.
Such discipline could eventually transform all of life -
Into one long prayer.
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