Sunday, February 6, 2022

6th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time are:
  1. Jeremiah 17: 5-8
  2. Psalms 1: 1-2, 3, 4, 6
  3. 1 Corinthians 15: 12, 16-20
  4. Luke 6: 17, 20-26
  • Deep resources
    • Maybe the greatest thing about athletic endeavors is that they make visible what all of us aspire to do in our daily lives: dig deep, find the resources needed, pour it all into the race in front of us, do the impossible.
    • What are the resources that you rely on in your life?  Maybe they include a supportive spouse, or the joy you receive from your children, grandchildren, ..., or maybe it's a lifetime of prayer and meditation, or an early education that has supported you ever since.
    • Where/how is God present in these resources?
    • How much can you count on them being there when you need them?
    • How much can you count on God being there when you need Him?
  • Swimming upstream
    • All of us crave acceptance, belonging, even when that sometimes comes at the price of our own integrity.  Sometimes, merely being silent can be a tacit form of agreement when we really should speak up and be counted.
    • When was the last time that you risked being rejected, not understood, considered a bit off for something that you felt had to be said/done?
    • What made you decide to be so bold?
    • How did you feel at the time?
    • Where was God in that?
  • Following Jesus
    • I'm by nature a concept man.  I like to get the idea, the philosophy down first, then apply it.  My students, being the ultimate pragmatists, like examples.  To them, learning is about seeing an example, finding the commonalities to a problem that they are trying to solve, then using the example as guidance.  Jesus is just such an example.
    • Do you think that Jesus was at all happy while He was on earth?
    • In what sense do you think that his disciples were friends for Him?
    • How do you think those friendships supported His ministry?
    • How can you be more like Jesus?
    • Why bother?
        • Finding true humility
          • Personally, I used to find ministering to the truly needy to be difficult because I thought that they were very different from me.  Later in life, I think I find it difficult to minister to them because I realize how much we are alike.
          • Do you have marginalized people in your life?  Maybe they do not have steady work that they can count on, or they are chronically ill and have little financial support, or they are elderly and lonely.  What is their name?
          • When you minister to them, in whatever capacity that might be, what needs of theirs are you filling?
          • Do you wish that you could do more?
          • What would you have to do differently to be able to offer that "more" to them?
        • Preparation for Reconciliation:
        1. Where is God in my deepest resources?
        2. Where is God calling me to be a voice for the voiceless?
        3. Where is God calling me to be happy/holy?
        4. Where can I find the face of Christ in those around me?
        Shalom!

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