Epiphany Sunday

Our readings for the Mass of Epiphany Sunday are:

1. Isaiah 60: 1-6
2. Psalms 72: 1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13
3. Ephesians 3: 2-3a, 5-6
4. Matthew 2: 1-12

• Mission statement
• Organizations with no articulated mission merely survive.  They might mange to keep the wheels on the bus, the lights still work, but nothing new is emerging.
• Do you feel that you have a mission?
• How successful do you think that you have been at that mission?
• What about your parish?
• What about the entire people of God on earth, yesterday, today, and in the future?

• Finding wisdom
• Most of us look for wisdom as a commodity.  We have a tough decision to make, we don't know what to do, and we crave a dollop of wisdom to get us through the immanent crisis, and then it's business as usual.
• If you had to choose between being wise, and being smart, which would you choose?
• Who are the wise people in your life, those who seem to be able to make sense out of what's going on?
• How do you think that they got that way?
• Do you think that we can ever have too many wise people?
• What would you do with deep wisdom?

• Howdy stranger
• The Gospel of Matthew starts with a genealogy of Jesus.  Through all of those generations, upheavals, revolutions, betrayals, deaths and wars, God was quietly at work bringing about salvation history.  Some see that genealogy as a tribute to God's control.  I see it as a tribute to God's resilience.
• Paul regards with wonder that salvation history includes the likes of you and me, that the fullness of God's glory is reflected in the fact that His grace is ineffably inclusive, broad, deep, boundless, infinite.
• How does that inclusiveness of God's mercy reflected in our worship together?
• How is the boundlessness of his mercy illuminating the way that we treat each other?
• How is the sheer, courage of God's grace changing the way that you look at yourself?

• Watching for I know not what
• Whatever else you might think about the wise men of the east, you have to give them credit for being watchful, observant, seeking, flexible.  Finding God in a child is no mean feat, particularly in that culture.  One lone star might easily go unnoticed, particularly from a distance.  Yet these magi saw, pondered, discerned, and acted.
• When do you typically find time to ponder what happens to you in your daily life?
• What do you typically take away from such meditations?
• Would you call such times prayer?
• Why is that?
• How much of your action is the product of meditation?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. How well am I fulfilling God's mission for me?
2. Where is God teaching me wisdom?
3. How are you welcoming others into God's emerging salvation history?
4. What are you watching for?

Shalom!

Christmas Day

Our readings for the Mass of Christmas Day are:

1. Isaiah 52: 7-10
2. Psalms 98: 1, 2-3, 3-4, 5-6
3. Hebrews 1: 1-6
4. John 1: 1-18

• You can't go home again
• If you are lucky, "home" is a place of belonging, where you "fit in", feel affirmed and appreciated, a rooting from which you draw sustenance even after you are long gone from the geography, the time, even the people of what constituted home.  The tricky part is, that our relationship with home has to evolve and grow in order for it to continue to sustain us.
• Where/what/when/who do you call home?
• Where is God in your roots?  Do you regularly pray for those that make home?  Do you ever pray your way through any of your old experiences, good and bad, and bring Jesus to those memories in new ways?
• How does your sense of belonging make you a better person today?
• How can you help others find their way home?

• Showing the face of God
• Our God is not confined to one stretch of ground, one race, one culture.  It is precisely that He transcends any boundaries that we can make up that is a mark of His greatness.  Truly, all of the ends of the earth have seen His saving power.  Or have they?
• Maybe you see God manifesting Himself on a regular basis.  Ministries that you participate in, or benefit from remind you time and again that God has a deep and personal love for you, so you feel sure that everyone around you feels the same.
• How are you warm, welcoming, hospitable to others in your family?
• How about your parish?
• If we in the US really were serious about showing God to the world around us, what would that look like?
• How might it change the world if we did some of those things?
• Where can we start?

• Is there a prophet in the house?
• Jesus should not have been a surprise to anyone.  God had been promising the advent of a savior for centuries through His prophets.  Now that Jesus has come is there anything left to be prophetic about?
• What are some of the qualities of a contemporary prophet?  Is it boldness, courage, profundity, ordination, official recognition?
• Who are some prophets of our day?  Martin Luther King, Pope John Paul II, Billy Graham, Mahatma Gandhi, Sister Theresa, ...?
• How do you think they became prophets?
• How do you think that they heard that call in their lives?
• If you heard that call, would you recognize it?

• Incarnation incognito
• "Hey honey I'm home!" was a stock greeting from the man of the house when he joyfully stepped through the front door of his home after a long day at work.  When Jesus tabernacled with us, it should have felt like a home-coming for Him.  Instead, Jesus was born on the edges, scarcely noticed, hardly acknowledged.
• If Jesus were here today, where do you think that He would find most at home?  Maybe a soup kitchen, a hospital ER room, your local day-care center, your home?
• Where would Jesus be welcome?
• What can you do today, to make Jesus feel more welcome?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Where is God inviting you to be more inviting?
2. Where is God welcoming you to be more welcoming?
3. How are you speaking up for God?
4. Where is God finding a home in your home?

Shalom!

4th Sunday of Advent

Our readings for the fourth Sunday of Advent are:

1. Micah 5: 1-4a
2. Psalms 80: 2-3, 15-16, 18-19
3. Hebrews 10: 5-10
4. Luke 1: 39-45

• What it takes to be great
• Greatness is possibly as ill-defined as it is elusive.  We think of a great football player who has stunning statistics on the field.  Or a great violinist who is able to transport audiences with their fervent playing.  You hardly ever hear of someone lauded for being a great family woman, or family man.  "Great integrity" is not a phrase you hear often these days.
• If you could choose, where would your greatness lie?
• How would you be able to tell whether you had achieved greatness in that area?
• Is it possible for someone to be greatly humble, or great in their humility?
• Who gets to tell who the "hall of famers" are as Christians?

• Seeing the face of God
• Matthew 14: 22-34 tells us of Jesus walking on the water, Peter following him out onto the deep, and Jesus rescuing Peter.  In all of that, Peter never lost sight of Jesus.  Probably a good thing for Peter.
• Do you feel as though you are where God wants you, that you are here today because God planted you here?
• If not, where do you think you took a wrong turn in life?
• Do you think that God can take you, just as you are, right where you are, and make something wonderful of you?
• How would you help God in that wonder-making?

• A body you prepared for me
• If you were to meet a complete stranger to pick them up at the airport, and you described yourself to them so that the two of you might have better luck finding each other, how would you describe yourself?  Now, pretend that they are able to see inside of you, discern your character, your strengths, weaknesses, where you are full of courage, and where you can be cowardly.  Now how would you describe yourself?
• How is your body a reflection of who you are?
• How is your body a reflection of who you are becoming?
• Do you like what you see?
• What would it take to like yourself better?

• Leaping for joy
• All of us look for joy, for things in our lives that bring us joy.  We don't often give it much thought.
• What most often brings you joy?
• How long does that joy last?
• Do you think that Jesus felt the joy of the Lord?
• Do you think that joy ever left Him?
• Then what is the difference between the joy of the Lord and what we so often call joy?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Where is God calling you to greatness today?
2. Where is God inviting you today?
3. How are you and your body coming closer to God today?
4. Where is God offering you joy in unexpected places?

Shalom!

2nd Sunday of Advent

Our readings for the second Sunday of Advent are:

1. Baruch 5: 1-9
2. Psalms 126: 1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6
3. Philippians 1: 4-6, 8-11
4. Luke 3: 1-6

• If you want peace, work for justice
• In 1971 Pope Paul VI published this.  In it, he provides a clear view of what peace amounts to, and how true justice is the only foundation on which to build a sustainable peace.  The two are really just sides of the same coin.
• Why do you feel that peace is a good thing?
• What of oppressive regimes?  Can they be reformed peacefully?
• What of injustices nearer to home?  How can those be mended peacefully?
• What do you think God is asking of us in light of those injustices?

• Change is in the air
• We like to think that God will reward our faith, our trust, our faithfulness with success.  We like to think that our God bestows prosperity on those He favors, and if we are not prosperous, we must have somehow missed the God boat and got left behind.
• How would you define prosper?
• Is it about making lots of money?
• Is it about being recognized?
• Maybe it's about appreciation?
• Or can you prosper by changing the world in unseen, and even unnoticed ways?
• Do you think God wants for all of us to prosper?

• A pilgrim people
• None of us likes the life of a nomad - never sure what tomorrow will bring, never sure where the next meal will come from, never sure where nightfall will find you.  We like security, safety, constancy.  But in a way, we are all nomads in this life, always called forward over the next horizon, into broader and broader vistas.
• What aspects of your life today would have surprised you five years ago, ten years ago?
• What did you used to pray for that you no longer pray for?
• What do you pray for now that you never used to pray for?
• What does that tell you about who God is making you into these days?

• King of kings
• Luke provides us two very different perspectives on the same point in time.  From the perspective of power, he tells us of a day located in the framework of kings, princes, and reigns.  From God's perspective, John's ministry is rooted in something far more ancient, and powerful in ways that earthly potentates are slow to recognize.
• Do you think God cares about all of the chaos and violence going on in our world today?
• Do you think that God wants to do something about it?
• Do you think that the time has come for us, any of us, all of us, to stand up and do something about any of what is going on around us today, any day?
• Where can you start?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Where can I help bring about God's justice today?
2. What is God calling me into today?
3. Where is my prayer life taking me?
4. How might God be calling me to take a stand?

Shalom!

1st Sunday of Advent

Our readings for the first Sunday of Advent are:

1. Jeremiah 33: 14-16
2. Psalms 25: 4-5, 8-9, 10, 14
3. 1 Thessalonians 3:12 - 4:2
4. Luke 21: 25-28, 34-36

• Vitality in the stump
• Jesus is described as a shoot sprouting from the tree of David, telling us that the merciful God who gathered His people, guarded them, received them back into His welcoming arms over and over again, was continuing that same salvation history, with something both bold and new.
• We all encounter various of God's character traits in our lives.  How have you encountered God's faithfulness?
• How much do you count on that faithfulness of God day to day?
• How has God encountered your faithfulness?

• Formation vs. information
• One of the biggest challenges in celebrating the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is to make sure that the information serves the faith formation and not the other way around.
• What are some of the experiences, encounters with God if you will, that have shaped your understanding and appreciation of God?
• Was that revelation something that happened all at once, or over a period of time?
• Do you feel that you are still drawing deeper graces from that encounter?

• Defense against desolation
• One of the instructions that Ignatius gives his followers is that in the face of spiritual desolation (a conviction from the evil one that God has abandoned you, that you are not loved, that you are alone) that even though your prayer life may seem dry and without fruit, to not only continue what you are doing, but do it even more.
• What are your prayer practices?
• How did you come to those and not other forms of prayer?
• What is it like when you are able to pray regularly?
• How have you changed your prayer practices through the years?
• How has your prayer changed you?

• Carousing and anxiety
• A contemplative posture is not, as some would think, an escape from reality, but a deeper experience of events of the day, seeing God's hand in everything and everyone, and finding peace knowing that you are a part of a much larger plan that is even now emerging.
• What do you look forward to most?  Might it be retirement, traveling the country to see the grandkids, a family wedding, your next promotion, the 2nd coming, an uptick in the stock market?
• Of all of the things that you look forward to, which one(s) provide meaning and context for the rest?
• How do you strike a balance in your life between preparing for an uncertain and emerging future that is possibly very distant, versus the demands of today, tomorrow, next week?
• Which is easier to live: a long life or a short one?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. How has God been faithful to me, and have I thanked Him for that lately?
2. How is God revealing Himself to me today?
3. Where is my prayer life taking me?
4. How might God be preparing me for tomorrow, the next day, eternity?

Shalom!

Christ the King Sunday

Our readings for Christ the King Sunday are:

1. Daniel 7: 13-14
2. Psalms 93: 1, 1-2, 5
3. Revelation 1: 5-8
4. John 18: 33b-37

• Renewed
• "Old age is not for sissies" my father frequently said.  He may have been even smarter than I gave him credit for.  One challenge of old age is trying to reconcile the present to the past, find what has endured and what has not, and ask yourself, "if this aspect of who I was taught to be, who I am, seems so irrelevant today, what should I learn from that?"
• Imagine yourself thirty years in the future.  What do you think might have changed by then?
• If you knew for sure what life will be like by then, how would that affect the way that you are living now?
• What of your life today are you absolutely sure will still be there in 30 years (besides death and taxes, those don't count).
• If you could live the rest of your life without any change, would you?

• The call to holiness
• Maybe a problem that young people have today is that they look at work as nothing more than a way to make a living.  As such, the most efficient way is to have one brilliant idea, like Facebook, and then, somehow, you are set for life.  What if we got that wrong, and the best work comes from us when we follow our calling.
• How has God called you in your life?
• Who has God used to communicate His call to you?
• What do you think God might be calling you to now?
• What do you hope God is calling you to?
• Why do you think there might be a difference? 

• The power of the circle
• In the movie News of the World, Tom Hanks finds himself "restoring" a young girl captured by native Americans and raised as one of their own, to her white family.  Along the way, she tries to tell him that life is a circle, that everything comes back to the beginning.  He tries to tell her that the way to make progress is a straight line.  I found that scene to be truly epic.
• If God is the beginning and the end, what does that tell you about resurrection?
• What is ending in your life these days as we approach the end of the Liturgical Year?
• Should that be ending?
• What is beginning for you at this time?
• Should that beginning be happening at this time, in this place?

• Authenticity
• As an instructor, I constantly struggle with the fundamental question: "how well do I have to know this topic before I am qualified to teach it?"  A corollary to that question is: "what do I have to offer these students that they cannot get on their own?"  Jesus asks Pilate whether his question regarding Jesus' identity is something that springs from within, or whether that question is from someone else.
• Do you believe that we can be more "real" in our life as we give ourselves away?
• How prepared do we have to be before we can authentically give ourselves away?
• How do you tell when you're ready?
• What, really, is a hypocrite?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Where might God be calling me to let go of something to take up something even better?
2. What is the passion that God has given me calling me towards?
3. What is God resurrecting in my life?
4. How might God be "loving me into real"?

Shalom!

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Daniel 12: 1-3
2. Psalms 16: 5,8, 9-10, 11
3. Hebrews 10: 11-14, 18
4. Mark 13: 24-32

• Wisdom is its own reward
• Wisdom is sometimes described as a woman of great generosity, offering her blessings to anyone who will accept them.  Sometimes I think she doesn't get many takers.
• What are you doing to try to grow in wisdom?
• Where does your wisdom come from?
• How do you pass that wisdom along to others?
• Do you feel that your wisdom is appreciated by others?
• Does that matter?

• It's your body calling on line #1
• Our bodies can be more than mere victims, if we allow them.  Most of us are aware of the harm that a stress-filled life can wreak in our bodies, but we rarely find the time to listen to what our bodies might be trying to tell us at any given moment.  The psalmists seem to have a much healthier connection with their bodies than we in the West do today.
• When you pray, how do you "settle in" to that experience?
• How long does that take?
• How do you know that you are ready for some serious prayer?
• What role does your body have in your pryaer?
• How do you come out of prayer?
• Why do you come out of prayer? 

• Eternal unbloody sacrifice
• There is a creative tension between the reality of the crucifixion and the resurrection.  Christ in His passion is always there for us, always abandoned, always alone and thrust to the side of history, and always telling the Peter in all of us "feed my sheep" in all His glory.
• How does Jesus' suffering affect you today?
• If you had been in the crowds when He was tried, sentenced, and crucified, would you have have tried to make a difference?
• Do you think Jesus would have noticed?
• Do you think that there's any way that you can make a difference today?

• Survivalist
• Survivalists are quite certain that Armageddon is coming, and they mean to do what it takes to survive.  In their minds, anything less that careful planning and preparation for the end of civilization as we know it is either delusional or lazy, or both.
• So, how are you preparing for an uncertain future?
• How does your trust in God play into that preparation?
• How does living today to its fullest, despite the uncertainties of tomorrow, play into the preparation?
• Would your life be different if you knew exactly what was coming and when?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Where might God be calling me to be a wiser woman/man of God?
2. What is God trying to tell me through my body?
3. What can I do to companion Jesus?
4. How might I be more ready for the four last things in my life?

Shalom!

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. 1 Kings 17: 10-16
2. Psalms 146: 7, 8-9, 9-10
3. Hebrews 9: 24-28
4. Mark 12: 38-44

• Random acts of kindness and senseless beauty
• Bold generosity in the face of a world caught up in acquisition is counter-cultural, even regarded as a little suspect in some circles, yet it is what Jesus calls us to.
• It is easy to over-commit yourself, especially to good causes.  How do you tell when God is calling you to a seemingly senseless act of generosity versus other people taking advantage of you?
• Do you think that Jesus ever felt used?
• How has your generous giving of yourself changed you through the years?
• Would you be richer today if you had not been generous at those times?

• Making waves
• God seems intent on being where we least expect Him.  Not in the halls of power, not in the seats of government, but with the poor, the lowly, the disenfranchised, the forgotten.
• Who are those in your life that you know of who seem to have no means of support, no security in their lives?
• How did they get that way?
• How do you think God would want for you to help them?
• How would your generosity help you? 

• Door, not barrier
• God made us physical beings, not as a punishment, but as a way for Him to be more intimately present in this creation, through us.
• What are some things, be they rituals, locations, prayer practices, people, Scriptures, ... that help to transport you to God?
• How did they all come to have that effect on you?
• How do you know when you have lost sight of God for the things that God has given you to help you connect with the rest of the cosmos?

• It's all a matter of trust
• The widow in the Gospel story achieved a heroic freedom by casting the last of her money into the temple treasury.  She no longer worried whether her remaining funds would stretch far enough.  Giving that to God left her free to pursue other concerns in her life.
• How much of your life is spent in maintenance?  You get the car down for a lube and oil, you go to the store for food for that week, you remember to call the furnace man to come out and take a look at your heater filter, and the list just never ends.
• Do you feel that maintenance is a service to God?
• Would He feel it's a service to Him?
• What do you think He'd rather you be doing?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Where might God be calling me to be more authentic in my generosity?
2. What is God calling me to hidden kindnesses?
3. What are the blessings that God wants me to use differently?
4. How might I celebrate my trust in God more deeply?

Shalom!

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Deuteronomy 6: 2-6
2. Psalms 18: 2-3, 3-4, 47, 51
3. Hebrews 7: 23-28
4. Mark 12: 28-34

• The reason in the season
• Today, like every day of our lives, is like no other, and yet it builds on past experiences, past celebrations of love, past loss.
• Why are you following God lately?
• How have those reasons changed through the years?
• How do you think they might change in the years that you have left?
• Is your faith strong enough to sustain you through what lies ahead?

• He is alive!
• And just as important, God is faithful to His people.
• How is God alive in your life today?
• How much of that Presence is a result of your prayer to Him?
• How might your life be different if you prayed more faithfully?
• If you had the time, the drive, the space in your life to pray more, how would you pray? 

• Expanding my horizons
• Jesus is our priest, the one who makes God present to us, and us present to God.  And yet, we as his adopted brothers are also called to that same priesthood.
• Who are you bringing before God in your prayer these days?
• What graces are you praying for on their behalf?
• How is your prayer making the world a better place?
• How is your prayer making your heart a better place?

• All is one, all is well
• Against the background of the beliefs of the day, monotheism must have struck Israel's neighbors as an odd belief system at best.  Perhaps even stranger is His intimacy with us.
• When it rains, do you just get wet, or do you feel the presence of God in the gift of life-giving water?
• Do you ever hear the voice of God in the breezes, as Elijah did in the desert?
• Does the sound of a baby's laughter inspire you to pray along?
• Does the face of God peek out at you in the starlight that has reached out to Earth?
• In your heart, do you find God one in all, through all, for all?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Where might God be calling me to go deeper?
2. What are the graces that God has prepared for me today?
3. Where is God calling me to be His Presence in the world around me?
4. How might I celebrate God's oneness today?

Shalom!

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Jeremiah 31: 7-9
2. Psalms 126: 1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6
3. Hebrews 5: 1-6
4. Mark 10: 46-52

• Family reunion
• Wars, natural disasters, severe pestilence, all can dislocate peoples from their homes, make refugees and immigrants out of them, make them vulnerable to abuse.
• Have you ever been dislocated?  Maybe transferred to a new job, or your job took you to a new city, you suddenly had to pick up and move to take care of a sick relative ...
• How did you adjust to your new surroundings?
• How long did it take before you really fit in, before it felt like home?
• How can we, God's people be more hospitable, more welcoming?

• What has God done for you lately?
• If someone were to ask you why you choose to serve God, what would you say?
• If they then asked you what it costs you to serve God, what would you say?
• And if they ask you whether it's worth it? 

• The immanent Jesus
• Jesus is still human.  He never shed that part of Himself in death.  He knows us, our weaknesses, our strengths better than we know them ourselves.  Which can be scary if you think about it.
• If, instead of praying to an invisible God, you and Jesus could go somewhere private, and you could pray to Him face to face, what would change?
• Would you pray more often?
• Would you pray at a different time of day?
• Would you pray for different things?
• Why is that?

• What do you want?
• If Jesus were to ask you "what can I do that would bring you happiness?" what would you say?
• Do you think that Jesus would agree with you that what you desire will bring you happiness?
• Once you received that gift, whatever it might be, how would that change your life?
• Are all of those changes necessarily good?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. How has God been faithful to me?  How am I returning that faithfulness?
2. How has God's great gifts to me made me a better person?
3. What do I feel that I need to hide from God?
4. Do I have the courage to accept what God has for me?

Shalom!

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Isaiah 53: 10-11
2. Psalms 33: 4-5, 18-19, 20, 22
3. Hebrews 4: 14-16
4. Mark 10: 35-45

• This was not on the recruiting poster
• In years gone by, the federal government would publish recruiting posters hoping to inspire the young to enlist in the armed forces to make the world safe for democracy.  If God were to publish recruiting posters to encourage people to leave behind their current way of life and come follow Him, what would they say, based on your experience?
• If following Jesus doesn't necessarily make the the world safe for democracy, what is the point of "joining with Jesus"?
• Why do we care if someone is Christian at all?
• What sort of promises does Jesus make to those who follow Him?
• Does it sound like a good deal?

• Shield from what?
• Skillful use of a shield seems to start with knowing your enemy.  Making sure that your shield is pointed in the right direction, keeping a firm grasp on its handles, and never letting it drop, no matter what your opponent rains down on you.
• What is God shielding you from these days?
• How good of a job is He doing?
• What do you think He's counting on from you in this battle?

• Infinite mercy
• Once in confession I had a mystical moment.  The priest said something to the effect that the sin I had just confessed was something that he heard from penitents clear into their 90s.  Several things went through my mind at once: a) this has to be boring for you, hearing the same litany of sins over and over b) you're telling me that I'm likely to struggle with this same stupid sin for the rest of my life c) this sacrament of confession, this infinite mercy that all of us live and breathe and have our being in, it binds us all together, heals us all together, and sends us forth, all together.
• Where has God been merciful to you lately?
• How do you feel about that mercy?
• How has that mercy changed you?

• Getting it done
• When I was in High School there was this kid, a couple of years older than I was, named Bob.  Bob had this incredible ability to walk into any situation, look around, figure what needed doing, and settle in and do it.  He never drew any attention to himself, but whenever he got involved, things happened.  I think that speaks of great humility, resourcefulness, creativity, and trust.
• What needs doing in your world?
• What talents, temperament, training do you bring to the party?
• Why would you say you are taking the role that you are in that situation?
• Could you do better?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. How good am I at showing the benefits of serving Jesus?
2. What spiritual battles is God fighting with me, on my behalf?
3. Where has God's mercy been in my life?
4. Where is God calling me to lend a hand?

Shalom!

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Wisdom 7: 7-11
2. Psalms 90: 12-13, 14-15, 16-17
3. Hebrews 13: 12-13
4. Mark 10: 17-30

• What would be like to be wise?
• Every once in awhile, I wonder what it would be like to suddenly be wealthy.  Would I buy a house in the Hamptons so that I didn't have to worry about sketchy neighbors and homeless people in the park, would I give some generous endowment to one of the charities that we support, ...  That fantasy is pretty easy compared to trying to imagine what it would be like to be wise.
• If you were wise, likely word would get out, and you would find folks coming to you for help with their lives.  How would you react to that?
• If you were wise, you would probably see your decisions, large and small, in a larger context, be more connected.  Would you like that much responsibility?
• If you were wise, would you also be kind?
• If you prayed for wisdom, do you think that God would give it/her to you?
• Are you afraid to pray for wisdom?  Maybe you should be.

• At the end of our days
• I'm beginning to realize that of the challenges of advancing age, perhaps one of the toughest is the harsh realization that I'm running out of opportunities to make good decisions.  With each passing day, my future is less malleable.
• What of your life do you regret?
• Do you think that God can transform any of that to good?
• If He is able to somehow bring good from bad decisions in your past, how does that make you feel about the decisions still ahead of you?

• I'm not sure how I feel about that
• My father occasionally would say "I'm not sure how I feel about that" when confronted with a complex issue.  As a young man, I was imbued with the confidence of the ignorant, and I generally had great confidence in my own opinions, not to mention my motives.
• Do you think that our motives have to be pure before we take action/speak up about something?
• Do you think that we have to even be aware of our often mixed motives before we take action on something?
• Do you think that God honors a prayer to Him for discernment of our own motives?
• Do you think that God can bring us purity of heart along the way as we act on His will in our lives?

• Finding freedom in the desert
• Freedom is revered perhaps above all else in our culture and perhaps rightly so.  But maybe the ultimate freedom, the one that matters most, is more elusive than we realize.  Our God is the God of infinite freedom, calling us forward into the freedom to be who we were created to be, to horizons and vistas that are worthy of us as His children.
• What are some of the things that keep you where you are?  Perhaps familiarity, family, friends, a favorite restaurant, a pathway that you have walked with a loved one many times, a fulfilling job/career that gives you joy.
• Do you find God in these things?
• What would you think if one morning, you awoke and heard God telling you that He will be with you, will be at your side, somewhere else now?
• How do you think such an awakening might happen in your life?  Maybe out of meditation, scanning the want ads, an incredible offer coming through the mail ...?
• What are the odds of something radical like that happening in your life?
• Would you be happier answering such a call?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Where can I grow in wisdom?
2. How is God calling me to build on, and transform, my past?
3. Where is God transforming me as I work in His vineyard?
4. Where might I fear to be free?

Shalom!

27th Sunday in Ordinary TIme

Our readings for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Genesis 2: 18-24
2. Psalms 128: 1-2, 3, 4-5, 6
3. Hebrews 2: 9-11
4. Mark 9: 38-43

• Life with you is a gift
• If you knew that your spouse was going home to Jesus in a day, how would you spend that last day?
• If you knew that they had a week?
• How about a month?
• How much of that time would be spent thanking them for all that they have been for and to you through the years?
• What's to keep you from telling them that today?  Before you start that conversation, reassure them that you are feeling just fine.

• The fruit of your handiwork
• None of us likes to have the results of our hard work snatched away before we get a chance to enjoy it.  But sometimes, our work yields different fruit than we anticipated.
• When you were a teenager, where did you think that you would be by now?  For my part, I figured I would be dead of old age.  After all, to my mind at the time, why would anyone in their right mind even want to live to be 64?
• What do think would be a just reward for all of the work that you have put in over the years in your life?  Maybe a great retirement, the respect and admiration of your children, grandchildren coming by to visit regularly, a glowing article on you in Wikipedia. ...?
• How do you think that God rewards His children?
• Do you think that's just?

• You have a friend in me
• One of the things that I love at the Mater Dolorosa retreat center in Sierra Madre is their outdoor stations of the cross.  They are about 3/4 scale, and when I really give myself over to the experience, I feel a deep sense of Presence going through them.
• We are comfortable singing "what a friend we have in Jesus".  How are you a friend to Jesus?
• Have you ever just sat in His presence, just for the sake of being there?
• If you've never tried it, what do you think might happen?
• If you have tried it, what would you like to happen there?
• What do you think makes it a good prayer session from Jesus' perspective?

• In for the long haul
• I've often thought that it's a mercy that marriage is for life.  It's looking as though it's going to take me about that long to get the proper hang of it.
• For those of you married, how does your spouse complement/complete you?
• For the rest of you, what would you like to see in your spouse?
• How is your relationship with your spouse different from any other relationship?
• How does that relationship to your spouse color/change your relationships with others?
• If the two of you met each other for the first time today, and both happened to be single, do you think that you would strike up a relationship?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Where is love calling me to be appreciative?
2. How is God rewarding me right now?
3. Where is Jesus asking for my companionship?
4. Where is love calling me to be more generous of the both of us?

Shalom!

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Numbers 11: 25-29
2. Psalms 19: 8, 10, 12-13, 14
3. James 5: 1-6
4. Mark 9: 38-43

• Are we a non-prophet organization?
• Every ministry has its qualifications.  Perhaps the most important qualifications for any participant in any ministry are humility and inclusivity.
• Think of the ministry or ministries that you are a member in.  If your members suddenly doubled, what would be the good news there?
• What would be the bad news?
• What makes it hard to welcome new participants?
• How do we gently tell someone that maybe God is calling them to another (any other) ministry?
• Who among us is honestly humble enough to give that sort of advice well?

• Make me pure of heart
• Just about all of us has had the experience of realizing, sometimes in time to make amends, that our motivations for doing something were mixed, at best.
• When you find that there just might be a hint of selfishness to your motives for doing good, what do you usually do?
• Do you think that we should wait until our motives are 100% pure before we do anything in God's service?
• Do you think that God honors prayers for pure motives from His children?
• What can we do while we're waiting for those pure motives to arrive by UPS?

• Missing the forest for the trees
• We've all been there.  Caught up in the details of what's right in front of us, we forget to take the longer view.  Maybe you forget to enjoy your vacation because you worried too much about keeping to the schedule.  Or your child's infancy flew past before you had a chance to really savor parenting.
• What are some of the "trees" in your life: things that occupy your attention on a frequent basis?
• Are any of those "trees" part of a larger forest, do they have a larger meaning?
• How often do you think about those forests?
• Why don't you take a walk in one of your forests right now?

• Looking out for the little ones
• I imagine that just about any of us has gone through fragile periods, times in our life when we were just hanging on, when some loving connection with others would have made all of the difference in the world.
• The last time that you really needed a friend, did you reach out?
• If not, why not?
• If not, what could have made it easier for you to call for help?
• How might the rest of us be more sensitive to those in our midst who are silently suffering?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Where is God calling me to be more welcoming?
2. Where is God inviting me to be pure of heart?
3. Where is God inviting me to savor my life?
4. Where is God inviting me to reach out to another?

Shalom!

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Wisdom 2:12, 17-20
2. Psalms 54: 3-4, 5, 6-8
3. James 3: 16-4:3
4. Mark 8:30-37

• Defend me oh God
• We always like to be on the winning side.  No one likes to be a member of the team that consistently loses, it's just bad for morale.  We all are betting that God will come out on top in the end, but what about in the meantime?
• As a faithful (and faith-filled) disciple, do you feel as though you are entitled to anything?  Maybe good health, the respect of your peers, retirement home in Martha's Vineyard ...?
• What makes you think that your list of entitlements should come your way?
• Where did that list come from?
• What do you think Jesus felt entitled to?

• Be careful what you ask for
• All of us want to know that God hears us when we pray.  But sometimes He's a little hard to predict.
• If you asked God for something that would ultimately do you harm, do you think that He would give it to you anyway?
• Do you think that everything that comes to/at you in life is a gift from God, or at least allowed by God?
• When things go wrong in life, just what is it that you think that God is looking for from us?
• Why is this so hard?

• Passion gets a bum rap
• What are your passions?  What moves you so much, that when you are doing that thing, enjoying your passion that time seems to stop?
• Where do you think that passion came from?
• What role do you think that passion should play in your decision-making?
• Do you think that we should all have the same passions?
• How did you discover yours?
• Do you think that your passions can change over time?
• Should they?

• Missing the forest for the trees
• I once thought that a person was truly old when everything that they once took for granted, getting out of bed in the morning, eating a hearty meal, being able to drive to the grocery store, ... become a chore that had to be carefully managed.  Then I thought that the onset of old age came when you thought more about the past, than you do about the future.  Lately, I've developed the opinion that old age comes when change, any change, is seen more as a bother, than an opportunity, a gateway to see God in some new and profound way.  And in that sense, I never want to grow old.
• In today's Gospel, the poor disciples just could not get their heads wrapped around the concept of a suffering savior, so they started working on a different problem, one that they could understand: figuring out the hierarchy in this new kingdom.
• Do you suspect that God might be calling you into a new kingdom in some way?  Calling you from a familiar, comfortable place into a broader horizon, an undiscovered country of some sort?
• How long has this been going on in your life?
• What do you think would happen if you answered that call?
• What is the first step?
• What's holding you back?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Where is God asking me to rethink my expectations of Him?
2. Where is God trying save me through adversity?
3. Where is God leading me through my passions?
4. Where is God calling me out of my comfort zone?
5. Where is God?

Shalom!

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Isaiah 50: 4c-9a
2. Psalms 116: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9
3. James 2: 14-18
4. Mark 8: 27-35

• Embracing it
• Sometimes the best that we can do with something in our lives is to manage it.  Sometimes, we get lucky and there's a solution for the problem.  Other times, God calls us to embrace it like Paul's mysterious "thorn in the flesh" in 2 Corinthians 12: 6-7.
• Have you ever doubted God's presence with you during a time of loss, grief, stress?
• Did you ever figure out whether God sent that into your life?
• Does it matter whether God sent that into your life?
• Do you think that God can get some benefit out of anything that comes our way?

• Stumbling
• When calamity strikes, it is easy to feel isolated from God, from others, even yourself.  You begin to wonder what happened to that happier you that you are having a hard time recalling.
• The last time that you prayed really really hard to God, what did you pray for?  Faithfulness on your part, God's presence in your life, courage to keep on keeping on, perseverance, relief, ...?
• What did God give you in response to those heartfelt prayers?
• What did you learn about God in that experience?
• What did you learn about you?

• Hands on
• As part of Confirmation prep, we require a certain number of service hours from each young person.  Hopefully that exposure will help them see themselves in a larger context, help them realize that serving others is sacramental, help them realize that living out their faith is more than just an intellectual exercise.  But I often wonder.
• If we had the resources, what sort of service projects would you think would make good Confirmation sacramental preparation fodder?
• How could sacramental prep be transformed so that the focus shifts entirely from weekly teaching and fellowship with a sprinkling of service to a two year service project with supporting theology sprinkled in to help them see their service in the bigger context?
• So, these kids get confirmed, they are now adults.  Then what?  How is the rest of the parish going to be ready to receive them?

• I'll take you up if you take me up
• Taking up your cross is easy to mess up.  Particularly when we identify someone else as our cross to bear.  Even more so when we let them know that they are our cross to bear, and we are very grateful to God for giving us that cross.
• What/who are some of the crosses in your life?
• How are you taking those up?
• How do you pray about/for those crosses?
• Are you getting any better at bearing them?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Where is God calling me to be more grateful?
2. Where should I get angry at God?
3. Where is God asking me to look at my world through the eyes of service?
4. Where is God calling me to let Him help me with the crosses in my life?

Nostalgia

There once lived a little girl born with an old soul.

Tucking her into bed one night, her father heard her ask
"Daddy, do you miss the toddler me?  I think I do sometimes."

Her father, being something of a philosopher pulled up a chair.

He knew the start of a long conversation when he heard it.

"Well dear," he said, "yes and no."

Your mother and I enjoy the you that you are today.

Your toddler self will always be with us in treasured memory.

We know that we had to give up the old you for the new."

"But what if I was a better person as a toddler.  What then?"

"Then ", he said "the rest of us would be here to help you

Grow into the best version of you that you can be."

"But how do you know that's going to be better?

No one knows what lies ahead, how I'll grow

Whether I'll ever get the right of whatever's next."

Her father leaned back in his chair, stared at the ceiling.

His daughter held her peace, having learned this was thinking time for her dad.

Eventually he came back to her room from his wanderings and said:

"Remember that crab that we saw molting at the aquarium?

If that crab never got out of its old shell, and grew a new, bigger one

It would die because it could not grow into its new horizons.

You & I, we are like that crab.  We have to leave our old selves behind

To embark on new, wider, bigger journeys,

Or we die."

"I understand.  But I'm still afraid."

"So am I, so am I.

But never forget that neither of us is ever alone in this process."

Shalom!

23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Isaiah 35: 4-7a
2. Psalms 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10
3. James 2: 1-5
4. Mark 7: 31-37

• Reckless abundance
• God never seems to be stingy with his grace, yet we always want to dole everything out as though it could dry up at any moment.
• What do you give to God?  That could be time spent in service, time spent in prayer, investing your talents into pro bono work, or investing your money into charitable causes, or ...
• Why do you give all of that away in the first place?
• How do you know how much to give, and how much to retain to support you & your family?
• Does that giving bring you joy?

• Strangers in our midst
• The holy family were refugees in Egypt shortly after Jesus' birth, fleeing their homeland to escape the wrath of Herod.  These days, it seems as though half of the world's population is on the move, trying to escape oppression, only to find neighboring countries unwilling/unable to welcome them in because of their shear numbers.
• If God protects the stranger, those with no one to defend them, how does He actually do that?
• Who is the stranger among us?
• Does God care whether they are deserving of help?
• Does God care whether they are properly appreciative?
• What does that tell you about God?

• Losers among us
• Who could argue with success?  No one likes to be known as a failure.  And we all particularly want to succeed when we give of ourselves to others as a celebration of our faith.  Yet Sr. Theresa once said "God does not require success of us, only faithfulness."
• Think of a ministry that you are giving yourself to.
• What makes for success in that ministry?
• If you were to fail in that ministry over and over again, no matter what you tried, what would you conclude?
• Why?

• Up close and personal
• Jesus never seems to be in a hurry when healing.  At the same time, the Gospel accounts seem less a recipe for successful healing, and more a lesson in caring about, and for the one seeking healing.
• Who are the ones in your life needing healing?  Maybe they are bruised and bloodied by abuse that they have suffered, maybe they have been oppressed/silenced/marginalized by others in power, ...
• How do you think that Jesus would show them that He cares, that He is always with them, that He loves them even though they have been through these calamities.
• Can you see yourself being that Presence for them? 

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. How can I share the abundance of God better?
2. Who are the refugees that God wishes me to reach out to?
3. Where is God asking me to give up seeking success and seek to love more deeply instead?
4. Where is God calling me to companion the wounded?

Shalom!

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Deuteronomy 4: 1-2, 6-8
2. Psalms 15: 2-3, 3-4, 4-5
3. James 1: 17-18, 21b-22, 27
4. Mark 7: 1-8, 14-15, 21-23

• The next big thing
• When the children of Israel were about to enter the promised land, they doubtless had a lot of questions like "will my flocks and herds find enough to eat in this new place", "how will we know what to plant in proper season in this new place", "we have been nomads for more than a generation, how are any of us to learn to become city dwellers" and many more.
• When you have contemplated a big change, perhaps getting married, moving to a new place, getting a new job, the birth of your first child, graduation from college, what changed in those transitions?
• What stayed the same in your life?
• Which of those was more important, the things that were changing or the things that were staying the same?
• Which of those two made you feel better about that impending transition?
• Where was God in that transition?

• Justice versus retribution
• When things go wrong because of someone else's actions, our inclination is to look for justice, to make them accountable, have them pay the price for their actions.  But one is left with the question of what are the real benefits of such retribution.
• Is justice the same as retribution?
• Does justice at least often call for retribution?
• If you had to choose between healing, and retribution, which would you choose?
• What do you think Jesus' choice would be?

• Defending the weak
• Orphans and widows were perhaps the most easily marginalized in ancient Israel.  Widows had little means to support themselves and their families without a husband, and orphans had even less support.
• Who are the widows and orphans of our day?
• Is it enough to vote in politicians who write legislation that supports the poor?
• The plight of the poor seems overwhelming, what can we do as individuals?

• Defiling the temple
• Defiling something sacred does violence to the purpose for that article, place, time, ...  The defilement says that the higher purpose has no meaning, no merit.  Each of us has a sacred purpose before God, a destiny that only each of us can fulfill.
• Why do you think that you are on this earth?
• Has your answer to that question changed over the years?
• How did you discover your true call?
• What do you do to make sure that you stay true to that call?
• How can the rest of us help you in that? 

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. How can I more fully lean on God's faithfulness?
2. Where can I be a healing presence today?
3. How can my walk with God become more authentic?
4. Where is God calling me to be more the me that He made me?

Change is Hard

Camel dung!  Get your sun dried camel dung right here!

Listen ma'am, the camels that gave us this load,

They have been eating nothing but dates the past few days.

The smoke from this batch will give you just what you need 

To give your next bar b que an extra special hint no one else has.

How do I know which camels produced what dung?

How do I know what those camels have been eating?

Listen pal, I don't get into your business, whatever it is.

So you just stay out of mine and leave me alone.

A man's gotta provide for his family by whatever means.

Yeah I'm nervous about this whole "Promised Land" thing.

No one I know has ever seen it.  All we got is rumors.

And the rumors ain't none to savory if you ask me.

I heard of giants with legs like tree trunks.

And a soldiers outfitted with steel swords and shields.

Besides, who wants to settle down into just one place?

Out here in the wilderness, storm comes in, 

Wipes out all of the trees in the area in one swoop.

We just gather the children and flocks, and be on our way.

No harm, no foul.  It's that easy.

We pin ourselves down to farms and cities, now that's different.

Fire, flood, wind, hail, any of those could level your farm

Leave you starving the next winter,

Your wives and babies dying of crop failure.

Unless of course, you're a city dweller of some sort.

And I have no idea what those folks do.

I've slept under the stars my whole life.

Things get bad, you just move on.

Out here in the wilderness,

Most folks are people of the herds.

You get into cities, soon there will be governors,

Administrators, clerks, treasurers,

Before you know it, hardly any of us left

Who know how to make an honest living.

Or remember that we are all equal before God.

I just hope God knows what He's doing.

And I hope that Joshua is listening very closely.

Shalom!

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Joshua 24: 1-2a, 15-17, 18b
2. Psalms 34: 2-3, 16-17, 18-19, 20-21
3. Ephesians 5: 21-32
4. John 6: 60-69

• God of all
• The Semitic culture that the ancient Jews belonged to held that different parts of the Earth had different god(s) inhabiting them.  So emigrating to a new place logically would mean taking on new gods.  One God over all the earth, throughout all time was a novel, even heretical idea at that time.
• Throughout your life, there have been many changes, perhaps different locations, different careers, different relationships, and yet here you are, still worshiping God.  Why is that?
• Many young people, somewhere around the time they become adults in our society, "out grow" God.  The lucky ones find their way back.  Did you go through such a period in your life?
• If you had the chance to talk to that younger, doubting version of you, what would you tell them?
• In the long run, is doubting, wrestling with doubts about our faith, always bad?

• Being courage for others
• Who are some of the lowly in your life?  Are they homeless, in chronic poor health, unemployed and unemployable, addicted, ...?
• Do you think that there is anything about your life that encourages them?
• Why is that?

• Trinity invitation
• Richard Rohr makes the case that the ultimate mystery of the Trinity is not how God can be three and one at the same time.  The ultimate mystery is that God through all time, in all creation, is inviting each and all of us (at the same time) into that Trinity fellowship.
• If invitation and love defines who God is/are, then what does that tell us about how we relate to those who come to the Church looking for sustenance, healing, compassion?
• If Jesus is forever inviting His Church into the Trinity, and Christian marriage is meant to mirror, even incarnate that same love and invitation, how ought we as married couples give of ourselves generously?

• Sometimes you need a friend
• In large corporations, it's always wise to remember that true loyalty, the sort that inspires the best in people, comes of relationships between people.  No one is really loyal to a concept, an organization, a project.  They are principally loyal to a person.
• When has following Jesus been hard for you?
• What made that chapter in your life difficult?
• Did you just give up and turn your back on Jesus?
• Why or why not?
• How do you think that made Jesus feel?
• How did you feel afterwards? 

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Where might I draw strength from my doubts?
2. How can I lift up just one of "the lowly" today?
3. How can I, my family, my community, my Church be more invitational?
4. Where is God calling me to companion Jesus today?

Shalom!

Assumption of Mary

Our readings for the Feast of the Assumption are:

1. Revelations 11: 19a, 12: 1-6a, 10ab
2. Psalms Psalms 45: 10, 11, 12, 16
3. 1 Corinthians 15: 20-27
4. Luke 1: 39-56

• Signs and wonders
• In Catholic theology, a sign conveys what it signifies.  By contrast, a symbol points to or reminds us of something beyond, something larger than the symbol itself.  God uses both to help us in our daily living.
• What are some of the moments when you felt particularly cared for by God?  Perhaps it was a loved one who called you on the phone when you needed it the most, or a word from Scripture that suddenly came unbidden to mind, or something as simple as a sunset that reminded you of fond memories of other sunsets.
• When have other people been a sign of God's love and care for you?
• When have you been a sign of God's love and care for someone else?

• The Bride of Christ
• How is the Church like a bride to Christ?
• Is any of that happening now?
• Should it?
• How can we be part of that more perfect bride?

• Following Jesus into resurrection
• Why do you think that Jesus made resurrection appearances at all?  If it was to prove that He was, indeed back, would not just one appearance in front of a large crowd have done the job?
• What do you know about resurrection from Jesus' example?
• What inevitably precedes resurrection?
• How can we prepare ourselves better for both what leads to resurrection, and resurrection itself?

• Sometimes you need a friend
• The readings for the past three Sundays have come from Jesus' starkly radical bread of life discourse in John 6.  We will return to that next week.  This week's Gospel can be seen as a pericope, a meaningful insertion into the bread of life discourse because it speaks to the beginnings of God's incarnation: Mary's acceptance of her role in that divine miracle.
• What sort of woman do you imagine Elizabeth to have been?
• Of all of the people that Mary doubtless knew, why do you think that she chose Elizabeth to commune with once she answered this call in her life?
• If something this momentous happened in your life, who would you likely want to talk to?
• What is the likelihood that something this momentous might ever happen to you?
• Why is that? 

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Who might God want to provide for, through me, today?
2. How can I help my congregation/parish be a better bride for Christ?
3. What might God be calling me to die to?
4. Where is God calling me from my comfort zone today?

Shalom!

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 19th Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. 1 Kings 19: 4-8
2. Psalms 34: 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
3. Ephesians 4: 30-5:2
4. John 6: 41-51

• Food for the journey
• In the verses ahead of the first reading, Elijah had very publicly debunked the priests of Baal and discredited the rulers of Israel in the process.  Oddly, no one thanked Elijah for showing them the truth, and so he fled for his life.
• Have you ever felt that God was asking too much of you?
• Did you wonder at the time whether it was really God's leading that you were following in the first place?
• What was your prayer like during that time?
• How did God get you through that challenging time?

• The joy of the Lord
• Think of someone you admire for their joyful attitude.  Maybe that is a close friend, a relative, or even someone you have heard about like Mother Theresa.
• Where do you think that joyful attitude came from?  Was it because everything that they tried turned out really well, or because God showered material blessings on them, or maybe because they became wildly famous because of their devotion to God?
• What do you think that this person sought, what were/are their priorities?
• How might you take an example from them?

• Compassion
• When have you needed some compassion?  Maybe you were suffering a health issue, maybe it was a relationship that was souring, maybe trouble in your career.
• Where did you turn?  Who/what did you go to for comfort?
• How well did they understand what you were going through?
• How did that make you feel?
• How/when have you been the compassion of Jesus for someone else?

• Needs and wants
• Eternal life, by its nature, sounds like something at a healthy distance to most of us.  And if we were honest, we would probably admit that we prefer to keep eternal life at a distance, at least for the immediate future.
• Do you think that eternal life has anything to do with the life that you are leading now?
• Is the eternal life that God offers us exactly the same for all of us?
• When does eternity start?
• Is it possible to start enjoying the benefits of eternal life now? 

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Who do I know who needs provision for the journey that they are on?  Where is God calling me to be their sustenance?
2. What stands between me and deep and abiding joy?
3. What keeps me from being more compassionate to my family, fellow parishioners, colleagues, ...?
4. What about eternal life do I need right now?

Shalom!

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time are:

1. Exodus 16: 2-4, 12-15
2. Psalms 78: 3-4, 23-24, 25, 54
3. Ephesians 4: 17, 20-24
4. John 6: 24-35

• The anxiety of it all
• Not knowing where your next meal will come from is a serious challenge.  Those who live with such "food insecurity" for very long learn never to take food for granted, never to leave any behind.  But food, shelter, clothing are only our most basic needs.
• Think of a time when you felt insecure about something.  Maybe your job was threatened, or an important relationship was at risk, or an investment of some sort was imperiled.
• How did that make you feel?
• What was your prayer during that season in your life?
• How did that change you?

• Thanks for teaching me trust
• The manna from heaven came with some strings attached.  You could not hoard it.  You could not gather it on the Sabbath.  It literally was "daily bread".  Trusting God is never easy.  Part of it might be that there's nothing that we can do to God if He proves to be untrustworthy.
• What are some of the things that you trust to God?
• How far would you trust Him in those areas?
• Why is that so?  What has God done to prove Himself to you?
• What would He have to do to make you trust Him more?

• Revelation
• Jesus tells us that He is the physical revelation of God the Father.  That implies that gazing on Jesus will tell us everything that we need to know about God the Father.
• How do you do your "gazing"?
• How often do you contemplate Jesus?
• What has He revealed to you of the Father?
• What more revelation would you like?

• Gateway to all my needs
• It sounds as though Jesus lost His patience with the crowds because they appeared to be content with one feeding after another.  Much like the woman at the well, (John 1: 1-45), Jesus tries to inspire His followers to think bigger, deeper.
• What are some of your deepest needs?
• How do you suppose you got those?
• What does that tell you about Jesus?
• Do you see any evidence of Jesus meeting those needs?
• Why?

• Preparation for Reconciliation:

1. Where is God looking for me to pray about my worries?
2. Where is God calling me to learn more trust?
3. How can I get to know Jesus better?
4. Am I willing to trust Jesus with my deepest needs?

Shalom!