14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Isaiah 66: 10-14c
   
2. Psalms 66: 1-3, 4-5, 6-7,16, 20
   
3. Galatians 6: 14-18
   
4. Luke 10: 1-12, 17-20
   

• God with us
  
• To the Jews, the Temple, and by extension Jerusalem itself were both sign and symbol of God's presence among them, that God had not abandoned them.  Fear of being abandoned runs through many of us I suspect.  Fear of being abandoned by God Himself is deeply terrifying.
• What evidence do you have that God is in, a part of, the very fabric of your life?
• If you were Job, and all of those things were to somehow be stripped from you, would you still believe that God was with you?
• If you firmly believe that God will never abandon nor forsake you, how has that changed your life?
• How should it?
  

• The kindness of God
  
• You hardly ever hear someone described as "kind".  Seems like sort of a wimpy virtue.  Courageous, stalwart, even mighty all sound like better virtues.  In the psalms, God is often praised for being kind and merciful.
• Why do you think that those ancient Israelites were so impressed that their God is kind and merciful?
• Are you impressed that our God is kind and merciful?
• How has He shown kindness and mercy to you?
• Where have you shown the same to others?
  

• All things new
  
• We are told that we are a new creation.  Last I looked, I still see the same tired, baggy face looking back at me in the mirror.
• Try to imagine yourself without Jesus.  Maybe you'd still be married, probably to someone else, you'd still be working, maybe even the same job, so what would be different?
• Thinking about it from that vantage point, are you glad that you are where you are?
• Why?
  

• Leaving it behind
  
• It's easy to miss the forest for the trees in life.  Between getting the oil changed on the family car, making the mortgage payment, getting to work on time, making the soccer game that promises to be the height of the season can all seem like so much noise in our lives.
• If that's true, if all of these things that take up so much of our time and energy are just in support of something else, what is that something else in your life?
• Suppose you are told that you have a week to live.  You resolve to spend that time reviewing your life to see what sense you can make of how you've spent your time on this planet.  What would you like to be able to say about your life?
• What part/parts of your current existence could you let go of if you thought that would help you focus better on your life mission?
• Or, is it possible that some of these annoying never-ending chores somehow are your mission?
  

• Preparation for Reconciliation
  

1. Have I ever abandoned God?
2. Where have I missed an opportunity to show true kindness?
   
3. How am I stepping into God's newness in my life today?
   
4. Where might God be calling me to find Him in unexpected places?
   

Shalom!